Winners Of The 2024 National Book Prize Announced

  1. Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb
  2. National Book Prize
  3. Winners Of The 2024 National Book Prize Announced




Posted on September 20, 2024

The winners of the 2024 National Book Prize – for books published in 2023 –ย  were announced earlier this evening during a private ceremony held at the Maritime Museum in Birgu. The National Book Prize is presented annually by the National Book Council, with winning titles chosen by an independent board of adjudicators in line with a rigorous selection process.

In his opening address, the National Book Council (NBC) Executive Chairperson Mark Camilleri highlighted the achievements of Maltese literature in 2023 and the continued efforts to raise local publishing standards to international levels. He emphasised the importance of collaboration between authors, editors, publishers, and the Council in enhancing the quality of Maltese literature.

Camilleri also announced ongoing initiatives, including the launch of a Foreign Rights Catalogue and the ongoing works at the forthcoming Malta Book Centre, while reaffirming the Councilโ€™s commitment to fostering local talent and promoting Maltese books on the global stage. He concluded by congratulating the winners and finalists for their contributions to Maltese literature.

The Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima emphasised the importance of literary excellence as a reflection of a nationโ€™s intellectual development. He highlighted that strong literature is a product of thoughtful writing and contributes to the advancement of society. The Minister encouraged more Maltese writers to create works in the Maltese language, aiming to elevate the status of the national language through a rich literary tradition.

He commended the efforts of the NBC in promoting Maltese literature both locally and internationally, emphasising their role in ensuring that the nation remains dedicated to books and the written word. Grima added that the Prize is a tribute not only to Maltese literature and identity but to all those who recognize the remarkable talents of writers and poets, whether they write in the Maltese language or in others.

He stressed that it is through the dedicated efforts of authors and publishers over the years that the rich history of the nation has been kept alive. Grima concluded by congratulating all finalists, with special recognition for the winners celebrated at the event.

The winning titles were selected from a shortlist of 61 titles, published in the preceding year, across 12 competitive categories: 49 books have been shortlisted across six National Book Prize categories, and 27 books for children and young adults have been shortlisted in the six Terramaxka Prize categories. As per regulations, the adjudicators were asked to select a maximum of five entries for each shortlisted category.

The adjudication panel for the National Book Prize has decided not to shortlist any titles in the Novels category in this yearโ€™s competition. This choice reflects a commitment to maintaining the highest literary standards and ensuring that the integrity of the prize is preserved. The panel found that, while many submissions demonstrated thorough research, the overall literary quality fell short of the expectations for a national award.

Additionally, while two finalists were shortlisted in the Short Stories in Maltese and English category, ultimately no prize was awarded for this category as both titles fell short of the minimum score of 90 marks.

The Terramaxka Prize this year celebrated several childrenโ€™s books for their outstanding quality in both content and production. The adjudicators praised the books for their engaging themes, contemporary illustrations, and the creative way authors and illustrators addressed new and important topics for young readers. The winning titles stood out for their ability to capture the imagination of children, with visual storytelling that enhanced the reading experience and made complex subjects accessible to a younger audience. The overall high standard of entries reflected the growing quality of childrenโ€™s literature in these categories.

Two special prizes were also bestowed during the ceremony. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred to Giovanni Bonello.

The award for Best Emergent Author was given to Ryan Falzon.

The National Book Council would like to thank the members of the adjudication board of the 2024 National Book Prize and Terramaxka: Ruth Ancilleri, Robert Attard, Nicole Bugeja, Roderick Mallia, Omar โ€™Nโ€™ Shea, Maria Theuma, Mario Thomas Vassallo, Sherise Zammit and William Zammit.ย 

Special thanks go to Margaret Callus from Malta Libraries for the classification of the submitted books in their respective category.

ย 

National Book Prize for Adults 2024

NOVELS IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH

No shortlisted titles

SHORT STORIES IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH

Prize not awarded

POETRY IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH

Gฤงaลผiลผ ฤ ismi by Immanuel Mifsud (Klabb Kotba Maltin)

DRAMA

No longlisted titlesย 

TRANSLATION

Il-Frammenti taโ€™ Saffo (Saffo) translated by Warren Bartolo (Ede Books)

LITERARY NON-FICTION IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH

Fejjaqtni Int: Ruลผar Briffa โ€“ u Jien by Paul P. Borg (Self-published)

RESEARCH

Vincenzo Bonello: His Legacy in Heritage edited by Theresa Vella (Kite Group)

HISTORIOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Jacques Franรงois de Chambray: The Order He Served, the Island He Loved, and the Fort He Built by Joseph Scicluna (Kite Group)

BEST BOOK PRODUCTION

Ede Books for the book Il-Frammenti taโ€™ Saffo (Saffo) translated by Warren Bartolo

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Giovanni Bonello

AWARD FOR BEST EMERGENT WRITER

Ryan Falzon


The Terramaxka Prize for Children and Young Adults 2024

ORIGINAL WORKS FOR CHILDREN AGES 0โ€“7

Madame Ortensja Paskwalina De Rohan by Clare Azzopardi, illustrated by Moira Scicluna Zahra (Merlin Publishers)

ORIGINAL WORKS FOR CHILDREN AGES 8โ€“12

Il-Kaลผ tal-Kappell Ikkalibrat by Leanne Ellul, illustrated by Marisa Attard (Merlin Publishers)

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE

Iลผ-ลปmien Kurjuลผ taลผ-ลปgฤงoลผija edited by Clare Azzopardi and Glen Calleja (Aฤกenzija ลปgฤงaลผagฤง)

TRANSLATION FOR CHILDREN AGES 0โ€“7

Iddeverti Kemm Tiflaฤง, Binti! (Mandy Archer; Shane Crampton ill.) translated by Janet Mallia (BDL Publishing)

TRANSLATION FOR CHILDREN AGES 8โ€“12

Maskra ฤฆamra: Sensiela Kif Issir Supereroj 2 (Elias Vรฅhlund; Agnes Vรฅhlund ill.) translated by Antoinette Borg (Merlin Publishers)

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION

Fake taโ€™ Veru (Nereida Carrillo; Alberto Monttย ill.) translated by David Aloisio (Merlin Publishers)

BEST BOOK PRODUCTION

Merlin Publishers for the book M gฤงal Malta by Naomi Gatt

Share Article