This list is testimony to the unwavering creativity of artists, designers and publishers across the world who made this year a great one for new photobooks. To find some gems, we reached out to curators, artists, editors and other photography experts, and asked for their personal favorites of the year. We were delighted to receive 39 heart-felt recommendations that range from meditative and poetic, to academic, novelistic, visionary, conceptual, and those that feel absolutely essential.

Take a look at our 2021 list of book recommendations and feel free to leave your own in the comments below!

Lederman and Yatskevich are two of the driving forces behind 10×10 Photobooks, a non-profit with a focus on the photobook. I spoke with Lederman and Yatskevich after the release of What They Saw (before the announcement of the PhotoBook Awards). The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.