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The Malta Book Fund is an initiative launched by the National Book Council to foster cultural growth in the local book market. This initiative forms part of the NBC’s endeavour to take on the role of a cultural agent within society, thus becoming a proactive and progressive contributor to the cultural, educational and intellectual development of society. Small amounts of funding can make a great difference to publishing projects in our small yet thriving book market, especially to projects in Maltese of local and cultural significance.

The NBC, in its drive to contribute to the overall development of the Maltese book industry, aims at supporting authors, translators and publishers by financing projects as a way of boosting confidence in the pursuit of new projects and initiatives, encouraging them not to shun projects on the grounds of commercial viability.

One of the main aims of the fund is to subsidise, through the Publishing Grants, quality publications of high cultural and educational value that in the context of the local market are not seen as commercially viable and thus would otherwise remain unpublished. The Translation Grants will be supporting applications for the translation of Maltese works to any other language, and the translation of works from any other language into Maltese.

All of the grants within the Malta Book Fund adhere to the provisions of the Writers’ Charter of Economic Rights. The grants will be awarded to successful applicants following a competitive adjudication process.

Grants will be awarded following a rigorous 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.

The Malta Book Fund 2020 has an annual budget of €105,000. All grants awarded may support up to 100% of the proposed project up to a maximum of €5,000. 

Publishing Grants

The annual sum allocated to the Publishing Grants is €50,000. The fund has the aim of supporting the publication of quality literature and/or works of research.

The Publishing grants will be open to works of fiction, non-fiction and works of academic research. Preference will be given to ambitious projects of high cultural value and relevance to the target local market, and particularly if such projects face limitations relating to commercial viability. The grants support 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. Books based solely on imagery or photography are ineligible.

Publishing Grants – Guidelines and Regulations

Translation Grants

The Malta Book Fund Translation Grants form part of the National Book Council’s strategy to boost the export and international dissemination of Maltese publications, and support Maltese language translators in bringing international works of literature and research to a Maltese-reading public.

Translation Grants are divided into two categories:  

Category 1 – Translations of Maltese books

The category supports applications for translation projects of Maltese works (published in the Maltese or English language in Malta with a Maltese ISBN) into any other language, with an annual allocated budget of €40,000.

Works which are going to be translated through a bridge language translation but which were originally written in the Maltese language will be considered, but priority will be given to works translated from original Maltese editions.

Category 2 – Translations into Maltese

The category supports applications for the translation of works into Maltese of works originally published in any other language. The annual allocated budget for Category 2 is €15,000.

Both categories of the programme address the translation of literary works including novels, poetry, drama, biographies, literary nonfiction and graphic novels,  as well as works of academic research.

Translation Grants – Guidelines and Regulations

How to apply

Interested applicants are encouraged to carefully read the guidelines and regulations of the respective Grants for information on eligibility and the evaluation process before applying.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, applications for the Malta Book Fund 2020 are to be signed, scanned and submitted by email to michael.mercieca@gov.mt using the subject line: Malta Book Fund 2020 – application [AND NAME OF APPLICANT].

The printed and signed complete application must be mailed to the National Book Council offices:

Malta Book Fund 2020 – National Book Council
First floor, Central Public Library,
Prof. J. Mangion Street,
Floriana, FRN1800


Malta Book Fund 2020 deadline

The call for applications closes on Tuesday 30 June 2020 at noon.

What happens after you submit your application?


Results notification 

The order of classification of applications submitted will be published within four (4) weeks from the application deadline.

Project implementation

If your application is approved and funded, you will be requested to sign a beneficiaries contract specifying the conditions of the fund, and you will be receiving 50% (fifty per cent) of the amount allocated to the project. Upon completion of the project, the remaining 50% (fifty per cent) will be released following approval by the National Book Council of the final report, and submission and tallying of final invoices and receipts.

Contact us

In case of difficulty, or if you would like to consult us regarding this fund, you can email us on simona.cassano@ktieb.org.mt. You can also call us on +356 99968511 Monday to Friday between 09:00hrs and 16:00hrs.

 

Submissions to the Malta Book Fund will be open from 26 March to 24 May 2024. Results will be announced on 23 July 2024. 

The Malta Book Fund is an initiative launched by the National Book Council to foster cultural growth in the local book market. This initiative forms part of the NBC’s endeavour to take on the role of a cultural agent within society, thus becoming a proactive and progressive contributor to the cultural, educational and intellectual development of society. Small amounts of funding can make a great difference to publishing projects in our small yet thriving book market, especially to projects in Maltese of local and cultural significance.

The results of the 2023 Malta Book Fund were published on 2 August.

The NBC, in its drive to contribute to the overall development of the Maltese book industry, aims at supporting authors, translators and publishers by financing projects as a way of boosting confidence in the pursuit of new projects and initiatives, encouraging them not to shun projects on the grounds of commercial viability.

One of the main aims of the fund is to subsidise, through the Publishing Grants, quality publications of high cultural and educational value that in the context of the local market are not seen as commercially viable and thus would otherwise remain unpublished. The Translation Grants support applications for the translation of Maltese works to any other language, and the translation of works from any other language into Maltese.

The budget of the 2022 Malta Book Fund is of €120,000. It still comprises of two main distinct grant areas funding both the publication and the translation of books, but as of this edition the Fund sees the introduction of two new categories funding the translation of book excerpts and the publication of new editions of out-of-print works.

The National Book Council is currently receiving applications for four types of grants:
i)   Publishing Grants for New Books;
ii)  Publishing Grants for New Editions of Out-of-Print Works;
iii) Translation Grants (divided into two categories: Translation of Maltese books and Translation of books into Maltese); and
iv)  Book Translation Pitch Grants.

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 rigorous 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.

The results of the Malta Book Fund 2023

Publishing Grants for New Books

 

The annual sum allocated to the Publishing Grants for New Books is €50,000. The fund has the aim of supporting the publication of quality literature and/or works of research.

The Publishing Grants for New Books are open to works of fiction, non-fiction and works of academic research. Preference will be given to ambitious projects of high cultural value and relevance to the target local market, and particularly if such projects face limitations relating to commercial viability. The grants support 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. Books based solely on imagery or photography are ineligible.

Publishing Grants for New Editions of Out-of-Print Works

 

The annual budget for Publishing Grants for New Editions is €10,000. This Grant 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, with an eye to specifically subsidize the publication of new editions of books that are out of print.

It supports applications for the publication of new editions of out-of-print works published at least 20 years before the launch of the current Malta Book Fund call. Applicants can apply for the following types of out-of-print works, carrying a Maltese ISBN: literature (fiction, poetry, drama, biographies, literary nonfiction and graphic novels); works of research including academic and scholarly books (monographs, edited collections, critical editions, researched exhibition and gallery catalogues containing analytical material that is the result of research). In contrast to a straightforward reprint, the new edition must have at least one of the following:

– substantial changes in the format or binding;
– substantial changes to at least 25% of the original written content or at least 10% new written content; or
– substantial changes to the illustrations, other than on the cover.

More than 50% of its content must be taken from the previously published book. It is imperative that the rights holder of the previous/original edition is identified and contacted.

Translation Grants

The Malta Book Fund Translation Grants form part of the National Book Council’s strategy to boost the export and international dissemination of Maltese publications, and support Maltese language translators in bringing international works of literature and research to a Maltese-reading public. Translation Grants are divided into two categories:

Category 1

Translations of Maltese books

 

The category supports applications for translation projects of Maltese works (published in the Maltese or English language in Malta with a Maltese ISBN) into any other language, with an annual allocated budget of €40,000.

Works which are going to be translated through a bridge language translation but which were originally written in the Maltese language will be considered, but priority will be given to works translated from original Maltese editions.

Category 2

Translations into Maltese

 

The category supports applications for the translation of works into Maltese of works originally published in any other language. The annual allocated budget for Category 2 is €15,000.

Both categories of the programme address the translation of literary works including novels, poetry, drama, biographies, literary nonfiction and graphic novels, as well as works of academic research.

Book Translation Pitch Grants

The Book Translation Pitch Grants form part of the National Book Council’s strategy to boost the export and international dissemination of Maltese publications, and to open up Malta’s literary landscape to works which have as yet not been published in translation into the Maltese language. The initiative seeks to to support literary translators in their development as advocates for international literature, by means of supporting them to pitch a sample of their work for publication.

The annual budget is €5,000 to fund a maximum grant of €500 per book translation excerpt pitch application. These grants address the translation of the following types of original works: literature (fiction, poetry, drama, biographies, literary nonfiction and graphic novels)works of research including academic and scholarly books (monographs, edited collections, critical editions, researched exhibition and gallery catalogues containing analytical material that is the result of research). The original work needs to have been already published and identified by its ISBN. 

The Book Translation Pitch Grants supports applications for the translation of excerpts:
– of Maltese works published in the Maltese or English language in Malta with a Maltese ISBN into any other language;
– of works originally published in any other language into the Maltese language;
– of works originally published in any other language which are going to be pitched through an English language bridge translation.

The call for applications closes on Monday 5 June 2023 at noon.

How to Apply

 

Interested applicants are encouraged to carefully read the guidelines and regulations of the respective Grants for information on eligibility and the evaluation process before applying.

 

Applications for the Malta Book Fund are to be signed, scanned and submitted by email to michael.mercieca@gov.mt using the subject line: Malta Book Fund 2023 – application [AND NAME OF APPLICANT].

A pack of four identical printed and signed copies of the full application (including all mandatory documents) must still be mailed to the National Book Council address, and must be sent no later than the closing date specified (date of postmark serves as proof):

Malta Book Fund – National Book Council
Bice Mizzi Vassallo Complex
Arnhem Road
Pembroke PBK177

Contact Us

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.

What happens after you submit your application?

 

Results notification
The order of classification of applications submitted will be published within six weeks from the application deadline.

 

Project implementation
If your application is approved and funded, you will be requested to sign a beneficiaries contract specifying the conditions of the fund, and you will be receiving 50% (fifty per cent) of the amount allocated to the project. Upon completion of the project, the remaining 50% (fifty per cent) will be released following approval by the National Book Council of the final report, and submission and tallying of final invoices and receipts.