Maurice Harvey is a New Zealand photojournalist who has travelled the world, but in No Protocol For Me, he writes about his assignments in Africa. His travels there began in 1960 where he lived in Central and West Africa for seven years, and he also visited after this.
His photography has been used by publishers such as the BBC, Macmillan, Reader’s Digest and many others, and in 1979 he became the official photojournalist for the United Bible Societies, a position he had for almost 20 years. His published work earned him the prestigious Licentiate of the Master Photographers Association in the United Kingdom.
No Protocol for Me is a fascinating account of his experiences in Africa, which takes him from Mali to the Congo to Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad, Cameroon, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Angola. He meets extraordinary people in beautiful landscapes along the way, but there is also widespread corruption, appalling poverty and living conditions. He is there to capture these stories and images. The most confronting stories involve human trafficking; African women being sold into sexual slavery is relatively commonplace. Everywhere Maurice travels, it seems officials seeking bribes are the norm, while in many countries, the powerful get more powerful and corrupt, while the poor remain poor.
It’s a fascinating account, an engaging book with stories of real, thought-provoking situations that capture many of his extraordinary experiences, all set in the context of the political landscape of each country.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan