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The Malta Book Fund is issued annually across different categories for eligible submissions at project stage. Since its inception in 2015, it has played an important role in fostering cultural growth in the local book market by funding publications and supporting publishers and authors throughout their projects.
The annual budget allocated for the 2025 edition is €135,000 spread across the following 5 strands:
1. Publishing Grants for New Books – €55,000
2. Publishing Grants for New Editions of Out-of-Print Works – €10,000
3. Translation and Export Grants Category 1: Grants for the Translation and Export of books by Maltese authors – €45,000
4. Translation and Export Grants Category 2: Book Translation Pitch Grants (Sample translations) – €5,000
5. Grants for Translations into Maltese – €20,000
All grants awarded may support up to 100% of the proposed project up to a maximum of €5,000 for all grants except the Book Translation Pitch Grants, which may support up to a maximum of €500 per pitch proposal.
Grants will be awarded following a competitive application process vetted by the Malta Book Fund adjudication board, which strives to ensure that financial allocations are made to those applicants who would make the best use of their funds.
Submissions to the Malta Book Fund will be open from 18 March to 20 May 2025. Results will be announced on 15 July 2025.
This strand supports applications for the publication of original works of fiction, including novels, poetry, drama, biographies, literary nonfiction and graphic novels, as well as academic and scholarly books including monographs, edited collections, and critical editions.
More information in the guidelines.
This strand subsidises the publication of new editions of books that are out of print.
It aims at bridging the gap between the need to read classics and books forming part of the Maltese literary canon, and their unavailability in bookshops.
This strand supports translation projects of Maltese works published into any other language.
This includes anthologies that have an original fictional or non-fictional work by one or more Maltese authors, and also the publication of Maltese works in English.
This strand supports the translation of international works of literature and research in the Maltese language.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications for the Malta Book Fund must be submitted online.
Before applying, please read the guidelines and regulations of the respective strand to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and understand the evaluation process. A sample application form and budget breakdown, and the state declaration form can be found in the downloads section.
Ensure that all mandatory documents – along with any additional supporting documents that strengthen your proposal – are prepared as soft copies and are ready for upload before submitting your application.
Click the APPLY NOW button top right of this page to begin.
In case of any difficulty at application stage, kindly call our offices on +356 27131574 or send an email to matthew.borg@ktieb.org.mt
You will receive a notification via email confirming your submission.
To edit your application, a request must be submitted through the submissions portal. Kindly log into your Submittable account, click on the application, press ‘Edit’ and fill in the dialog box. Editing requests are granted only up to the submissions deadline.
The list of the projects which are awarded the grants will be published within eight weeks from the application deadline.
If your application is approved, 50% of the allocated fund will be disbursed upon signing a beneficiaries contract.
Upon completion of the project, the remaining 50% will be released following the submission of two printed copies of the book and the approval of the final report and the budgetary breakdown by the NBC.
In case of difficulty, or if you would like to consult us regarding this fund, you can email us on matthew.borg@ktieb.org.mt or call us on +356 27131574 Monday to Friday between 09:00hrs and 16:00hrs.