Official Statement by the National Book Council

The National Book Council wishes to inform the public, media, and stakeholders that it did not provide any financial aid, support, or visibility to the book Mein Führer Adolf Hitler – L-Istorja u l-Bijografija by Ronald Bugeja, apart from issuing its ISBN number on 6 May 2022. As a side note, the NBC serves as the ISBN agency for Malta, and the issuing of ISBN numbers is not related to the content of publications.

We were not previously informed or aware that the author acknowledged the National Book Council in his special thanks on page 396. However, during the classification and eligibility process for the National Book Prize, multiple individuals raised concerns, and the Council sought legal advice on 28 March 2023.

While the National Book Council took into account the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Maltese Constitution and the European Convention on Fundamental Human Rights, we have decided not to include the book Mein Führer in the longlist for the National Book Prize for books published in 2022. This decision was made due to the book’s content and consequent ethical concerns, further reinforced by potential legal repercussions associated with a book that may promote or condone the genocide committed by the Nazi regime (referring to Article 82B of the Maltese Criminal Code).

The longlist for the National Book Prize was published on 4 April 2023 (https://ktieb.org.mt/en/news/national-book-prize-and-terramaxka-prize-2023-the-longlist/). The National Book Council disassociates itself from the nature of the content of the book and its implications. We encourage our stakeholders and the media to contact our office if they require further clarification on our position.