stefano-schirato

Stefano Schirato was born in Bologna-Italy in 1974, where he graduated in Political Sciences.
He has been working as a photographer since 1997, with a keen focus on social themes.
After several reportages,he was awarded with a scholarship to take part in a course with National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry.

In 1999, together with the Non-Governmental Organization New Humanity and in support of Emergency, he proposed to witness the drama of landmines in Cambodia. This work gave birth to his first book, Gli occhi della Cambogia, with a preface by Ferdinando Scianna.
Starting from 2000 he devoted himself to a long photographic work about seized ships which was to take him, over the next two years, in various mediterranean ports in order to document the life of maritime prisoners on board. 
In 2002 he met the Oscar-winning film director Giuseppe Tornatore, who examined his images and encouraged their publication.
The same year, the publisher Silvana Editoriale launched his new book entitled Né in terra, né in mare (neither on sea nor land) with an essay by G. Tornatore.

In 2008 his last work about schizophrenia was published by Silvana Editoriale in a book entitled Fuori di me (Out of my mind).
In 2011 he signed a contract with New York Times as freelance photographer. His works have appeared on Vanity Fair Italy, Panorama, D La Repubblica delle Donne, Il Manifesto, International Herald Tribune, Le Figarò Magazine, Washington Post, Epsilon Magazine.

Awards/Grants: International Carletti Price for photojournalists
Cliciak 2010 for Baaria's backstage
Cliciak 2013 for The Best Offer
Special Mention Prospekt/INAIL Prize in
photojournalism
Honorable mention at IPA 2013