Photography: It Can Never Be The Same

Looking at Afghanistan through the photojournalism of Lorenzo Tugnoli.

The Frontline Club has long been a home for journalists, photographers, and thinkers whocare deeply about how the world is represented. This event proposes a presentation anddiscussion around It Can Never Be The Same, the new book by Pulitzer Prize–winningphotojournalist Lorenzo Tugnoli, created in collaboration with Francesca Recchia and pubblished with GOST Books.

Made in Afghanistan between 2019 and 2023—a period marked by the collapse of the Western-backed government and the Taliban’s return to power—the work examines not only the country’supheaval but also the act of representation itself. The book opens a conversation about howcountries at war or under occupation are portrayed and how media narratives shape publicunderstanding.

The event will feature a dialogue between Lorenzo Tugnoli and Stuart Smith, designer, publisher,and co-founder of GOST Books, exploring long-term photojournalism, the evolution of the photobook, and the responsibilities embedded in visual storytelling. The NGO EMERGENCY,which contributed to the publication and has worked in Afghanistan since 1999, will introduce the discussion. Afghan scholar and policy expert Dr Orzala Nemat will moderate the event.