Festivals, Funds and Initiatives in 2024: Key Dates

  1. Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb
  2. Literary Exports
  3. London Book Fair
  4. Festivals, Funds and Initiatives in 2024: Key Dates




Posted on January 24, 2024

On 19 January 2024, the National Book Council (NBC) held its Annual Consultation Meeting for authors and publishers in which the 2024 dates for its main initiatives were announced, including the much-anticipated Malta Book Festival and the revision of dates for the National Book Prize. During the meeting, the NBC mapped out its vision for the next twelve months while gathering valuable feedback and suggestions from stakeholders. 

Throughout 2024, the NBC will work on developing a comprehensive national strategy with the aim of addressing the main challenges that the Maltese publishing industry is currently facing, arising from the meetings and surveys that will be held with the stakeholders. The NBC will gather a wealth of data for the drafting of policies and programmes to establish targets for the near future and promote the thriving of the Maltese book industry. The strategy paper will be launched in December 2024, outlining a clear trajectory and vision for the future of the NBC as well as the local publishing industry. 

As part of our efforts to represent the evolving identity and mission of the NBC through its brand image, initial steps have been taken towards the rebranding of the NBC logo. Coupled with a website revamp, this revitalization of the NBC’s brand image will complement the release of the strategy paper in late 2024. 

This year, the annual Malta Book Festival will be held from 6 till 10 November. The venue will be announced when the public procurement process is completed and the tender is awarded. On the other hand, the National Book Prize ceremony will take place before the festival on 20 September, awarding both the Terramaxka Prize and National Book Prize. The revised dates of the National Book Prize reflect the extension of the shortlisting phase of the adjudicating process. 

Literary exports are a vital aspect for the Maltese book industry and the National Book Council continuously strives to liaise with and help local authors and publishers network with foreign publishers. The Council’s commitment for 2024 is to compile a foreign rights catalogue, which will open a window into contemporary Maltese literature available for translation and publication to the foreign publishing market. This catalogue will be disseminated at all international book fairs attended by the NBC in 2024.

The National Book Council’s calendar for 2024 promises to continue celebrating Maltese literature both locally and abroad. We look forward to writing this new chapter with our industry partners and stakeholders.

NATIONAL BOOK PRIZE 2024

Call open: 13 February

Call closes: 29 February

Ceremony: 20 September
More info:  https://ktieb.org.mt/nationalbookprize/

At a glance:

– 8 prizes between literature and research categories, and 6 Terramaxka Prize categories (books for children and adolescents)

– Competitive contest

– Independent adjudication

Prize for original works: €4,000

Prize for translated works (Terramaxka only): €2,000

Special prizes: €4,000

Prize for winning publishers: €1,000

CAMPUS BOOK FESTIVAL

Festival dates: 20-22 March

Application for exhibitors: 12-17 January

MALTA BOOK FESTIVAL

Festival dates: 6-10 November

Application for exhibitors: 16 April – 10 May

More info here.

NOVELS FOR YOUTH LITERARY CONTEST

Call opens: 23 January

Call closes: 30 August

Ceremony: 10 January 2025

More info here.

THE LONDON BOOK FAIR

The National Book Council will represent Maltese authors and publishers during the London Book Fair, which will be held between 12 and 14 March.

At a glance:

– the NBC will pitch Maltese books to international publishers and agents through a foreign rights catalogue;

– engage in meetings with old and new contacts and literary agents to broker new deals;

– hold a seminar and reading sessions to promote and advertise Maltese literature to prospect readers and publishers.

DOREEN MICALLEF POETRY CONTEST

Call opens: 14 May

Call closes: 22 July

More info here.

At a glance:

First prize: €1,000

Second prize: €500

Third prize: €200

– Independent adjudication

– Poems evaluated anonymously

– Competitive contest

– For poems in Maltese not exceeding 36 verses in length

MALTA BOOK FUND

Call opens: 26 March

Call closes: 24 May
Results announcement: 23 July

More info here.

At a glance:

Annual budget: €120,000

Maximum grant: €500-€5,000

– For books at project stage (unpublished)

– To subsidise non-commercially viable publications

– To support translations from and into Maltese

– To support the republication of Maltese classics locally

– To support the translation of book excerpts intended to be pitched to local or international publishers

– Independent adjudication

PUBLIC LENDING RIGHTS (PLR)

Applications accepted all year round.

Application form and further information at https://ktieb.org.mt/public-lending-rights/

At a glance:

Annual budget: €60,000

Maximum yearly payment: €5,000

– For authors; co-authors; illustrators and photographers (50% or more of the publication’s content); editors

– Remuneration issued every 3 months

– Extended to University of Malta library books (ISBN numbers) – issued every year

– Allocated funds for every period are divided percentage-wise according to lending statistics

ISBN and ISMN

Applications accepted all year round.

Application form and further information here.

The National Book Council – What do we do?

– we organise national and international events, from large to smaller-scale ones: the Malta Book Festival, the University Campus Book Festival;

– we act as literary agents for authors and publishers at foreign book fairs;

– we organise literary contests;

– we administer public lending rights (PLR) payments and ISBN & ISMN;

– we coordinate, facilitate and subsidise local, and translations and export projects (Malta Book Fund);

– we administer audio-visual funds for books and literature-related productions.

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