Ryan Falzon: Recipient Of The Prize For Best Emergent Author 2024

The National Book Council (NBC) facilitated an interview with writer and artist Ryan Falzon, following the conferring of the Prize for Best Emergent Author at the 2024 edition of the National Book Prize. Written by Emma Borg for the Sunday Times of Malta, the article delves into Falzon’s preoccupations and ambitions as a new writer seeking to represent his generation through his literary output. 

The Prize for Best Emergent Author is one of two special awards given out during the annual National Book Prize ceremony — the other being the Lifetime Achievement Award, this year bestowed on historian, art critic and human rights lawyer Giovanni Bonello. These special prizes seek to take an ample view of the trajectory of Maltese literature — honouring both those who have left an indelible mark on Maltese letters over the years, and fresh voices who promise to push it into new directions. 

Falzon was among a list of candidates nominated for the award by the NBC, and was subsequently selected following a majority vote by the NBC and the members of its non-executive board. An established presence in the visual arts scene for some years — having exhibited widely in Malta and also in Berlin — Falzon made his mark in the literary field with the publication of his debut novel Sajf (Kotba Calleja) in 2022, which was shortlisted for the National Book Prize in 2023, and has been praised for cannily articulating the zeitgeist of the Maltese millennial generation. 

The Prize for Best Emergent Author is not merely awarded to new writers who exhibit exceptional work; it also notes the professional development trajectory of each author under consideration, giving precedence to those authors who have shown a commitment to bettering their craft – be it through participation in workshops, masterclasses and courses, an active presence in the literary community or a penchant towards variety and experimentation in their published work.

You may read the full interview on The Times of Malta here.