According to the jury of the Prince Claus Awards in 2010, the foundation of this publishing house was elemental for opening the door again between Algeria and the rest of the world.
Hellal and Hadjadj noticed though, that the civil war had caused that a great number of writers had fled abroad.
[1][2] An important mainspring for the founders was the passion for books and the trust that freedom of thought and of expression are essential for development.
[1] As from the start the house has been dependent from mainly European sponsors, because the circumstances and the nature of the publications caused that the publisher wasn't viable on itself.
The jury praised it among other things for "giving concrete form to Algeria’s voices, for opening up a much needed space for critical reflection on Algerian realities, for building a bridge connecting different languages and cultures, and for creatively breaking through the threatening cultural isolation of the country.