Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2008

Selected from over 6,900 submissions, this book offers a unique opportunity to see an inspiring range of portraits. The selection of photographs is all about people - people who appear intriguing, defiant or relaxed - and the outstanding skills of the photographers, whose intelligence and diligence enables them to capture not only a moment in time, but also convey something of the spirit of those photographed. Fully illustrated in colour throughout, the book features all the selected entries from this year's competition. There are comments from all the judges about the entries - this year's judging panel comprises Sandy Nairne, Director and Terence Pepper, Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, London, plus Julia Fullerton-Batten, photographer, David A. Bailey, curator, photographer, writer and lecturer and Joanna Pitman, photography critic at the Times). This year the book is accompanied by a brief essay by the Booker Prize winning poet and novelist Ben Okri and interviews with the prize winners by Richard McClure give further insight into the photographers behind these outstanding images. The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2008 accompanies an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London from 6 November 2008 to 15 February 2009 and the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle from 4 March to 30 June 2009.

Ben Okri OBE is a poet and novelist, recent titles include In Arcadia (2002) and Starbook (2007).Richard McClure is a freelance journalist.