The last mascot of the Festival takes us back to the origin

After having met Ray il-Qarrej, Filip il-Kittieb and Ċiċi l-Ispettatriċi, we would like to introduce you to another character of the Malta Book Festival’s official poster – Mia s-Semmiegħa, who especially loves to listen to stories from books transmitted orally.

The captivating act of recounting has been performed since the dawn of time. Humans have a natural tendency to prefer stories told orally in order to remember, for instance, the history of humanity or human wisdom accumulated over the years, as shown by proverbs (and also the etymology of the word in Maltese – “qwiel”).

When Mia listens to oral stories, she is all ears. Mia finds comfort in them as well as recounted literature. Although she still devours books – just like the other three characters of the poster – Mia also consumes literature in other genres that are related to the ear.

Have you ever listened to a musical adaptation of a literary text, for instance a ballad or the National Anthem, an audiobook, or perhaps even a literary podcast? These are all various experiences that emerge from a single point of origin – literature.

Whether you love books or you’re an aspiring writer, or if you’re someone who’s looking for new ways to engage with literature, you are warmly invited to the Malta Book Festival happening between the 18 and the 20 October at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC), Ta’ Qali.

The programme of events will include activities which showcase the auditory aspect of literature, for example poetry readings, live podcasts happening at the venue and musical concerts based on literature, while the audio version of books can be found at some exhibitors at the Festival.

For the latest updates on the Malta Book Festival, please follow the NBC website, and the NBC Facebook page and Malta Book Festival 2023 Facebook page.