Paradise Inc.

FINALIST OF THE 2024 LUCIE PHOTO BOOK PRIZE

“An epic new book... the photographs, often in jarring juxtaposition, underscore the cruel bargain of Western 'progress'—and the paradoxical damage brought on by a half century of conservation and preservation efforts.” —David Friend, Vanity Fair

A groundbreaking investigation into wildlife conservation, environmental transformation, and efforts to preserve Africa’s natural wilderness by French-Madagascan documentary photographer Guillaume Bonn.

Paradise Inc. offers an unvarnished glimpse into the realities of Africa’s ecosystems and our collective future, as the disruptions of climate change, economic expansion, and environmental efforts reshape the world before our eyes.

For decades, Bonn has told the stories that the world is afraid to hear, championing the silenced and refusing to turn away from the truth. Paradise Inc. is the culmination of twenty years dedicated to documenting the last days of Africa’s vast natural landscapes, where countless expeditions have taken the photographer deep across nearly every country on the continent. Far from tired stereotypes, “greenwashing” efforts, and ready-made solutions, Paradise Inc. shines an unblinking light onto the paradoxes, consequences, and truths that lurk in plain sight behind the environmental “paradise” in Africa. 

Featuring an introduction by world-renowned journalist Jon Lee Anderson and foreword by founder of Across Maasai Land Initiative and Maasai elder Ezekiel Ole Katato, Paradise Inc. continues the work Bonn began as a player in the Africa State of Mind project (Thames & Hudson, 2020), now presented in its entirety.

While beautifully and poignantly illustrated, Paradise Inc. is more than a visual journey. Nostalgic and critical, it is declaration of the photographer’s love for Africa—which Jon Lee Anderson (The New Yorker) calls his “inescapable muse”—an expression of his fear that it might one day disappear, and an impassioned call to action. In this latest work, Bonn defies the clichés of a wildlife wonderland that haunt the collective imagination, instead asking uncompromising questions and inviting us to strive for sustainable solutions together.

Born in Madagascar and raised in the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, and Kenya, Bonn brings a unique perspective rooted in his French and Malagasy heritage and diverse upbringing, exploring the idea of “Africanness” in his work. It is through this intimate duality that Paradise Inc. delivers its urgent critique, unveils nuances, and captures the thrill of being in the wild.

Guillaume Bonn is a documentary photographer with over 20 years of experience capturing the complexities of conflicts, social issues, and environmental challenges across Africa. A contributor to publications such as The New York Times and Vanity Fair and a current fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London, Bonn has authored five books, including Mosquito Coast: Travels from Maputo to Mogadishu, Le Mal d’Afrique: A Journey into Old and New Africa, and Peter Beard: Scrapbooks from Africa and Beyond. His work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, earning him accolades such as The CAP Prize for Contemporary African Photography, the American Photography prize, PDN Photo prize, a Pulitzer grant, and nominations for the Pictet Prize.

Jon Lee Anderson is an American author and journalist who began his career in the early 1980s, reporting on Central America’s civil wars. He has reported around the world as a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1998 and has also profiled a number of international public figures, including Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Augusto Pinochet, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and King Juan Carlos. One of the most respected American journalists of his generation, Anderson is also the author of a biography on the iconic Marxist revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, as well as several other books. He is currently writing biography of Fidel Castro. He resides in Dorset, England, with his wife and three children.

Ezekiel Ole Katato is a Maasai elder and culturalist working to secure the future of the Kenyan environment, wildlife, and Maasai generations to come. For three decades, he has supported the education of Maasai girls, promoting and facilitating access to stable and long-term schooling. He is also dedicated to  establishing a peaceful coexistence between the Maasai and their elephant neighbors, securing and protecting 1.2 million hectares of land that not only protects the elephants and the environment, but also generates direct and sustainable income to rural villagers. Ole Katato conceptualized  managed “Walking with the Maasai,” a six-day walking expedition through Maasai land following the footsteps of Joseph Thomson, the first European explorer to cross Maasai land in 1883. Women, girls, and youth groups have been supported through these walks.