Algerian publisher Barzakh Editions to receive Principal Prince Claus Award of 100,000 EUR
On Friday 17 December the Algerian publisher Barzakh Editions will be presented with the Principal Prince Claus Award of 100,000 EUR by HRH Prince Friso, Honorary Chairman of the Prince Claus Fund. Also in attendance will be Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands and their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Orange, Princess Máxima, Princess Mabel, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien. In addition, ten other laureates will be presented with awards of 25,000 EUR at ceremonies in their respective countries by Ambassadors of the Netherlands. Since 1997 more than 150 Prince Claus Awards have been granted to artists, intellectuals and cultural organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Frontiers of Reality
The theme of the 2010 Prince Claus Awards is Frontiers of Reality. Within this context, the Prince Claus Fund has considered individuals and organizations whose exceptional performance not only challenges and changes the boundaries of our reality, but who, in doing so, contribute to the development of society.
Principal Prince Claus Award: Barzakh Editions (Algeria)
Barzakh Editions is an independent publisher in Algiers that has created a platform for a new generation of Algerian writers, thereby opening the doors for an exchange of ideas between Algeria and the rest of the world. Barzakh Editions was established in 2000 by Sofiane Hadjadj and Selma Hellal in the aftermath of Algeria’s black decade of violence. Driven by a passion for books and the conviction that freedom of speech and thought are essential to the development of the country, Hadjadj Sofiane and Selma Hellal have made the work of local and exiled authors accessible and affordable. They have released more than 70 publications in Algeria, many of which have been translated and published in other African and European countries.
The Principal Prince Claus Award honours Barzakh Editions for providing Algerians with a voice, for facilitating the much-needed critical reflection on Algerian reality, for building a bridge between various languages and cultures, and for creating a beacon for the country’s creative potential.
Talk Show Frontiers of Reality on 16 December
In the context of the theme of the 2010 Awards, the Prince Claus Fund, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, presents the Frontiers of Reality Talk Show, focusing on Iran, Afghanistan and The Netherlands. The Talk Show is a public event and will take place on Thursday 16 December at the newly opened DeLaMar Theatre.
The Talk Show will address current and controversial issues in a world where perception is tainted by prejudice. The Talk Show will focus on the different and changing realities in Iran, Afghanistan and the Netherlands and will be hosted by Rageh Omaar, freelance journalist and broadcaster for, amongst others, Al Jazeera and the BBC.
The Talk Show’s participants include:
- Maziar Bahari, journalist/filmmaker, journalist for Newsweek, co-editor of the Prince Claus Library publication Transit Tehran: Young Iran and Its Inspirations (Iran)
- Thomas Erdbrink, journalist, the Iran-based Middle East correspondent for the Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad (Iran/The Netherlands)
- Nader Nadery, member of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, chair of the Free and Fair Elections Agency (FEFA), Kabul (Afghanistan)
- Jolyon Leslie, erstwhile-CEO Aga Khan Trust, architect, co-author of Afghanistan: the Mirage of Peace (Afghanistan)
Talk Show Frontiers of Reality
16 December 2010, 4.00 pm
DeLaMar Theatre
Marnixstraat 402, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Free entrance (click here to register)
You can find more information about the other ten Prince Claus Awards and the Frontiers of Reality Talk Show on: www.princeclausfund.org
Media Contacts:
For further information, images, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Mr. Sebas van der Sangen s.vandersangen@princeclausfund.nl
Prince Claus Fund
Herengracht 603
1017 CE Amsterdam
The Netherlands
t. +31(0)20.3449160
f. +31(0)20.3449166
