The poet Victor Fenech, a contemporary of Doreen Micallef (1949-2001), notes that the solitary writer caught the Moviment Qawmien Letterarju of the 1960s by surprise, appearing as if out of nowhere, having already written powerful poetry testifying to a life of suffering.
The Doreen Micallef National Poetry Contest is the most prestigious single poetry competition in Maltese, set up with the aim of foregrounding poetic activity in Malta, and named in honor of Doreen Micallef to celebrate one of the most distinguished voices of her generation, intimate, confessional and feminine. Each year the contest is judged by an independent jury appointed by the National Book Council.

Join us for the announcement of this yearโ€™s winners and illuminating readings by the winning poets of the 2020 Doreen Micallef National Poetry Contest.