NBC Committed to Capacity-Building Initiatives Following Successful Completion of Editing Course

The National Book Council (NBC) is endeavouring to expand its capacity-building initiatives for local stakeholders, following the successful completion of a six-week course on book editing which took place online from 23 July to 1 September. 

Made available on the platform ELVTR and delivered by renowned UK-based editor Francesco Vilhena, ‘Become a Book Editor’ was offered free-of-charge to three Maltese participants on a first-come, first-served basis as the result of direct investment by the NBC. 

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

“As predicted, ‘Become a Book Editor’ proved to be both a worthwhile experience for its participants, as well as a key indicator of how the NBC will aim to further develop such initiatives and collaborations in future,” NBC Executive Chairperson Mark Camilleri said. 

Asked to comment on their experience, participants pointed out how the course helped them gain a more comprehensive insight into the editorial process, which encompassed both the creative and technical aspects of the job as well as wider considerations of the publishing industry as a whole. 

Noting that all three participants fared well in the course, Camilleri said that this further validates the NBC’s decision to not only invest in such initiatives, but to expand upon them in future. 

“We consider this first collaboration with an entity like ELVTR to be a positive testing ground for what’s to come. Taking all feedback on board, the NBC aims to explore other opportunities for capacity building in the sector in the coming months,” Camilleri added. 

With this in mind, the next item on this particular agenda for the NBC will be an upcoming course on fiction writing offered by Novelry – also fully booked in record time. 

Those interested in future initiatives of this kind are encouraged to follow the National Book Council on Facebook and Instagram, and to sign up for its email newsletter on this website