That Quad Energy: Embrace the Dynamic Variety of Local Publishers at Kampus Kotba

With the 11th edition of Campus Book Festival now fast upon us, the National Book Council looks forward to welcoming an eclectic array of publishers at the University of Malta Quadrangle, where students and the general public will be parse through a varied selection of books, some of which will be made available at a discount.

Taking place between 20 and 22 March, the Festival boasts the participation of Klabb Kotba Maltin/Midsea Books, Horizons, Ede Books, Faraxa Publishing, Kite Group, Kotba Calleja, SKS Publishers, Malta University Press, and Malta University Distributors, as well as other exhibitors such as the Għaqda tal-Malti – Università and Arts Council Malta.

The joy of variety

Each of the participating publishers at this year’s edition of the Festival offer a fresh perspective on the local publishing scene, with the university grounds serving as the perfect focal point for the exchange of ideas and enjoyment of varied literary styles that they foster.

‘Legacy’ houses continue to enjoy a space at the Festival, with publishers such as Klabb Kotba Maltin, Horizons, Kite Group and SKS continuing to release quality publications which build on an august back catalogue some of us may even have grown up with and studied in school.

However, the Festival is also completed by the presence of newer players in the market who have still managed to solidly assert themselves, with their titles already elbowing their way into the National Book Prize — the highest literary award in Malta that both author and publisher can aspire towards. Ede Books have certainly made their mark with Best Novel 2023 winner Marta Marta by Loranne Vella; Kotba Calleja with their lovingly crafted handmade books — with The Bell, by Malta’s first Poet Laureate Maria Grech Ganado being one of them. World literature in Maltese also gets its due owing to the welcome participation of Faraxa Publishing, whose repertoire includes a generous selection of works from all over the world, made accessible for a Maltese readership.

And in a notable first for a festival that calls campus its home, the National Book Council warmly welcomes two leading University of Malta publishers: Malta University Press and Malta University Distributors.

The Campus Book Festival will take place between Wednesday the 20 and Friday the 22 March from 9am onwards in the Quadrangle of the University of Malta. Admission is free both to visit the publishers and to attend the program of activities. Discover the full programme here.