The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth 2020: applications are open

The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth is an annual contest organised by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the National Book Council.

The purpose of this contest is to select, reward and publish Maltese novels that are written specifically for young people, and that explore themes related to adolescence and the typical situations young people in this stage of their lives are likely to encounter. The organisers aim to gradually increase the availability of Maltese literature in this genre, thus sparking young people’s interest and motivation to read books written in Maltese.

Furthermore, the organisers aspire at promoting excellence by awarding works of a high literary content. Additional rationales behind this competition include raising awareness about youth literature and for authors to submit original novels for youth which are innovative and non-didactic or moralising in nature. As a result, young people will benefit from an increase in the available number of books targeted for their age group, which will stimulate them to embark on new and exciting reading experiences.

Applications for the 2020 edition of the contest are now open and all interested authors are invited to submit original texts of between 20,000–25,000 words aimed at young adults of 13–15 years of age. Applicants can be individuals or groups and the manuscripts have to be submitted under a nom de plume. All applicants must be at least 20 years old. The work must be original, in the Maltese language and never been published before, either whole or in parts.

Besides the manuscript, applicants must also provide a filled-in application form with the author’s original signature, a photocopy of their ID card and a synopsis of the story (at least 500 words-long). Three copies of both the text and the synopsis must be submitted under the chosen nom de plume along with the other documents.

Applicants are to read the contest guidelines by visiting the websites www.agenzijazghazagh.gov.mt and view them from here, or by sending an email to agenzija.zghazagh@gov.mt.

Click here to download the application form.

The National Book Council will appoint three adjudicators who will select the winning entry/entries according to a set of established criteria: development of plot and characters, originality, language and quality. The winner, which will be announced in the first week of January 2021, will be given a commemorative trophy and certificate, and the sum of €1,000. The winner will subsequently be asked to sign a contract, in which he or she will be offered funding (€2,000) for the publication of her work with a local publisher of their choice.

Original manuscripts together with this year’s official application form are to reach Aġenzija Żgħażagħ by noon 7 September 2020.

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