Apply Now for a Free Online Course for Aspiring Book Editors 

The National Book Council (NBC) is offering a chance to up to three Maltese and/or Malta-based book editors and other interested candidates to enrol, free of charge, in ‘Become a Book Editor’ – a six-week online course on literary editing delivered by renowned UK-based editor Francesco Vilhena. 

Vilhena manages editorial projects at Bloomsbury Publishing, and has previously worked for Faber, Granta and And Other Stories. He serves on the advisory board of the Poetry Translation Centre, and his own work has been published Granta, Modern Poetry in Translation, Asymptote, and others. 

Taking place on the ELVTR platform from 23 July to 1 September every Tuesday and Thursday from 19:30 to 21:00, the course will aim to provide participants with an enriching insight into the editorial process, broadening their knowledge of the workings of the publishing industry. A welcome class will take place online on 21 July. 

Applications for the course via Submittable are open until 27 April. 

The course will move from practical, craft-based elements of the editorial process – such as proofreading and copyediting techniques, manuscript evaluation and the art of providing constructive feedback – to marketing, design and legal and ethical considerations in publishing. 

“The NBC is proud to be offering ‘Become a Book Editor’ free of charge, as a result of its investment in capacity-building for the local literary sector, and a direct benefit of the NBC’s participation in the London Book Fair 2026, where fruitful meetings with ELVTR eventually led to the initiative becoming a tangible reality,” NBC Executive Chairperson Mark Camilleri said. 

“An improved environment for literary editing has long been identified as a core necessity by a number of our stakeholders – from authors to publishers, and others – which is why the NBC has now seized upon this opportunity to ensure that this lacuna is finally addressed,” Camilleri added while stressing that the move is fully in line with key deliverables of its Five-Year Strategic Vision 2025-2030, launched last year. 

The course is open to a total of three participants. Selection is on a first-come, first-served basis. Consistent attendance is mandatory, and selected participants will be expected to ensure their availability and attendance to all sessions. Click here to read the full terms and conditions. 

Applications for the course are open via Submittable until 27 April.