Noir sur Blanc was founded in 1987 by Vera and JanMichalski, a couple with Swiss, Polish, Russian and Austrian roots. Their ambition was two-fold, both humanist and literary: to create a bridge between the cultures and peoples of Europe on either side of the Iron Curtain. Originally centered on Polish and Russian books, their catalogue came to include works both from neighboring countries and from the rest of the world. With the goal of acting as "passers" of texts between the French-speaking world and Eastern Europe, Vera and JanMichalski were intent on publishing in both French and Polish right from the start; an unusual initiative which is one of this publishing house’s most characteristic features.