Haiti has long been known as a benighted place of poverty and corruption. Even before the 2010 earthquake destroyed much of the country, it was beset by difficulties inextricably rooted in its history of rebellion and revolution. Since gaining independence from France in 1804, following the only successful slave revolt in the history of the world, Haitis past has been characterized by dictatorships, serious conflict, and near-constant social and political unrest, as the country struggles to define its independence and realize its promise. Haiti: The Perpetual Liberation collects some 140 of Kerns photographs of Haiti, taken in black and white with an analogue camera over the course of twenty years of travel there. As these photographs demonstrate, the people of Haiti remain determined to realize the countrys promise in the face of crushing poverty and crisis; and behind the barrage of bad news that dominates the public image it is a country full of hope and life. Three separate text bookletseach in one of three languages: English, German, and Creolefeature texts by Kern on his work and approach to the country, as well as two essays by Swiss journalist Georg Brunold and Haitian novelist Yanick Lahens that provide context and commentary for the images and discuss the countrys people and culture, and its enduring political conflict. A powerful photographic portrait, Haiti: The Perpetual Liberation shows a different, more personal, and therefore also more ordinary view of the troubled country that reaches beyond what we think we know about Haiti. Haiti won a bronze medal in the 2018 German Photo Book Award.

Thomas Kern publiziert seine Fotografien in renommierten Zeitungen, Zeitschriften und Fotomagazinen und wurde u. a. mit dem World Press Photo Award und dem Swiss Press Photo Award ausgezeichnet. Georg Brunold ist freier Publizist. Er war u.a. Afrikakorrespondent der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung und als stellvertretender Chefredaktor des Du verantwortlich für die Ausgabe Nr. 680 über Haiti, die in Zusammenarbeit mit Thomas Kern entstand. Yanick Lahens lebt und arbeitet als Schriftstellerin und Radiomoderatorin in Port-au-Prince. 2014 wurde sie mit dem französischen Literaturpreis Prix Fémina ausgezeichnet, 2015 mit dem Prix Joseph D. Charles.