The ‘Literary Prize’ was first set up in 1971 for books in Maltese published during the preceding year. The Government’s aim was to encourage Maltese literature and to reward the year’s best authors. The first winners were Anton Buttigieg with his poetry collection Fl-Arena and Francis Ebejer with Id-Drammi Vol. 2,  which contained his three major plays of the 1960s: Vaganzi tas-Sajf, Boulevard and Menz. Back then, each author was awarded the sum of Lm80. A total of twelve books participated in the first ever ‘Literary Prize’ and the jury included Dr. A.V. Depasquale, Prof. Ġużè Aquilina, Prof. Ġużè Galea, Mr. Erin Serracino Inglott and Mr. Charles Coleiro.

Over the years, the Prize has undergone several changes, including adjustments to its name, structure, types of categories and prize allocations. Notably, the Prize was not held between 1983 and 1987 due to a lack of funding not held due to lack of funding, but it was reinstated in 1988 and has been awarded annually since.

A major milestone came in 2001 with the formation of the National Book Council, which took over the administration of the Prize alongside the National Book Fair. In 2005, the Prize was officially rebranded as the ‘National Book Prize’, while the Fair was rebranded as the ‘Malta Book Festival’ in 2014.

Since then, the National Book Council has continuously refined the Prize regulations, categories and adjudication process to maintain professional and transparent standards. Special thanks to Victor Fenech and Joe Debattista, original NBC members, for starting the compilation of this list, which continues to be updated to reflect the Prize’s evolving history and is the foundation for a detailed Wikipedia page.

Today, the National Book Prize is Malta’s highest literary award, recognizing excellence across various categories, including fiction, non-fiction, research, poetry, drama, children’s literature and translation. The Prize not only celebrates literary achievement but also plays a crucial role in promoting Maltese literature both locally and internationally.

The National Book Prize remains a cornerstone of Malta’s literary and cultural landscape, highlighting the achievements of authors, publishers, translators, and illustrators who have contributed to the country’s literary heritage.