Hone your craft with the very best at the Malta Book Festival 2024

The National Book Council (NBC) is thrilled to announce that the Malta Book Festival 2024 will once again provide invaluable opportunities for prospective writers to hone their craft. 

Leading the way will be none other than MBF 2024 special guest Anthony Horowitz, with ‘The World of Writing: A Creative Writing Masterclass’ taking place on Thursday 7 November at 7:30 pm. 

Horowitz, the bestselling British author renowned for his work on the Alex Rider book series and as a screenwriter of hit shows such as Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War, will cover the fundamentals of plot development, crafting memorable characters, writing engaging dialogue, and the nuances between prose fiction and screenwriting. In a separate event, Horowitz will also be interviewed on stage by Prof. James Corby, Professor and Head of the Department of English at the University of Malta, allowing the public to directly engage with this superstar author. 

In addition to Horowitz’s masterclass, the MBF 2024 will feature a variety of workshops and events aimed at professional development in the book industry and providing essential skills and knowledge. Aspiring or established authors, illustrators and publishers can look forward to sessions on bookbinding, fiction development, illustration, and navigating the literary market. These workshops will be led by experienced professionals who will share practical techniques and industry insights, catering to writers of all ages and skill levels.

“The Malta Book Festival seeks to offer a fulfilling experience to readers, writers and book-lovers of every stripe. These workshops — some of which are led by internationally acclaimed figures like Anthony Horowitz — further emphasise the NBC’s commitment to fostering a healthy and competitive literary culture,” NBC Executive Chairman Mark Camilleri said, adding that these varied activities, which would appeal to a number of different age groups, reflect the theme of this year’s edition of the festival: #bindingworlds. 

The festival will also include interactive sessions with literary agents, offering valuable advice on manuscript preparation, securing representation and successfully navigating the publishing landscape. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive personalised feedback, making these sessions an essential resource for both new and experienced writers.

“Insularity is one of the great challenges of the Maltese cultural industry, and such events play a crucial role in bridging the gap between aspiring local creatives and the international book industry,” Camilleri concluded. 

Spaces for ‘The World of Writing: A Creative Writing Masterclass’ are limited, so be sure to register here. 

The full programme of events for the 2024 Malta Book Festival (6-10 November) will be published in the coming weeks. For the latest updates, please follow the NBC website, and the NBC Facebook page and The Malta Book Festival Facebook event page.