The NBC’s Annual Report For 2024

The National Book Council (NBC) is publishing its comprehensive Annual Report for 2024, a pro-active year in which the Council moved forward with implementing key developments that look towards a long-term vision for the Council and its work, and which will further aid its mission to cultivate a strong, healthy and sustainable book industry. 

In a crucial effort to ensure that its operations are informed by rigorous research and driven by a long-term and holistic vision, the NBC made significant progress with its five-year national strategy, drafted in collaboration with renowned business consultancy firm KPMG. 

With the open call for the strategy first issued at the tail end of 2023, the following year saw the bulk of the work being done to a briskly implemented timeline, with KPMG spearheading both internal meetings with the NBC and stakeholder consultation sessions – the latter informed by a survey issued to all involved.

The resultant strategy document – which will be launched in the coming months – offered an incisive snapshot of the book industry in Malta, while also proposing the way forward for the NBC in the form of key pillars and strategic directions. 

Further to the NBC’s efforts in cultivating forward-looking approaches, this year’s the Council had the honour of becoming a member of the European Network for Literary Translation (ENLit) following a vote taken at the network’s annual general meeting at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Membership in this prestigious network – which boasts over 30 cultural organisations based in Europe and beyond – will further facilitate the NBC’s efforts to disseminate Maltese literature across wider global markets. 

The Council’s outreach to international markets was additionally bolstered by the creation and dissemination of the very first Foreign Rights Catalogue – devised by the NBC and distributed at the London Book Fair and other prestigious venues.

The catalogue boasts a selection of landmark Maltese works currently in circulation, as selected by all participating publishers, and serves as an ideal ‘calling card’ for the Maltese book industry across international fora. 

Taking place in early November, the Malta Book Festival continued to serve as the landmark literary event on the island, attracting international talent – notably, the acclaimed authors Anthony Horowitz and Paul Lynch – as well as a large segment of the local population thanks to its rich programme and a diversified marketing campaign spread out across different platforms.

Further building on the NBC’s drive to foster a high-quality and internationally recognised literary industry, the Festival also featured a strong element of professional development – with workshops and masterclasses featuring strongly in the programme. 

Thanks to the groundwork laid out and connections made in 2024, the NBC now stands ready to finalise and implement exciting developments which will serve to inform its work for years to come.

The Annual Report for 2024 is available in Maltese and English here.

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