The winners of the National Book Prize 2019, for books published in 2018, will be announced tomorrow, 30 January, during a private awards ceremony held at San Anton Palace, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Malta, H.E. George Vella. The Prize will be publicly announced right after the ceremony through a press release published on the National Book Council’s website FB page.
An independent board, appointed specifically and solely for the purpose of adjudicating the Prize, has evaluated the submissions according to a set of criteria. The 34 shortlisted books competing in 8 categories is being reproduced below. In addition to these categories and the Lifetime Achievement and the Best Emergent Writer Awards, starting this year the title of Poet Laureate could be bestowed upon the writer who would have previously won any other past National Book Prize edition. An award for Best Book Production will also be conferred upon the best designed book published in 2018.
Novels in Maltese and English
| Titlu tal-ktieb // Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castillo | Clare Azzopardi | Merlin Publishers Ltd. | ||
| The Reluctant Healer | Lou Drofenik | Horizons | ||
| Kulħadd Barra Fajża | John P. Portelli | Horizons |
Short stories in Maltese and English
| Titlu tal-ktieb // Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 365 | Trevor Żahra | Merlin Publishers Ltd. | ||
| Fuq Widnejn Torox: U Stejjer Żbukkati Oħra | Rita Saliba | Klabb Kotba Maltin | ||
| Il-Fiera tal-Fuħħar: U Stejjer Oħra | Joe Friggieri | Kite Group | ||
| Ħjut | Rita Saliba | Horizons | ||
| Inkontri ta' Kuljum | John P. Portelli | Horizons | ||
| Minn Żmien l-Għerien | Lina Brockdorff | Horizons | ||
Poetry in Maltese and English
| Titlu tal-ktieb // Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bil-Boqxiex | Louis Briffa | Self-published | ||
| Framed | Maria Grech Ganado | Merlin Publishers Ltd. |
Drama in Maltese and English
(no entries)
Literary Non-fiction in Maltese and English
| Titlu tal-ktieb // Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chambers of Memory: Roaming the Mansions of Mnemosyne | Richard England | Kite Group | ||
| No Man's Land: People, Place & Pollution | Marie Briguglio, Steve Bonello | Kite Group |
Translation
| Titlu tal-ktieb // Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passjoni Sempliċi | Toni Aquilina | Faraxa Publishing | ||
| Antigona | Toni Aquilina | Faraxa Publishing | ||
| Il-Metamorfosi | Emmanuel Cutajar | Faraxa Publishing | ||
| Mewt Ġo Venezja | Alfred Palma | Horizons |
General Research
| Titlu tal-ktieb // Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Il-Maltin: Għemilhom, Drawwiethom, Ġrajjiethom It-Tieni Volum | Steve Borg | Klabb Kotba Maltin | ||
| The Apostolato of the Order of St John at the Cathedral of Malta | Ġwann Azzopardi | Mdina Cathedral Chapter | ||
| A History of Għarb | Patrick Formosa | Salesians of Don Bosco (Malta) | ||
| An Encyclopaedia of Artists with a Malta Connection | Antonio Espinoza Rodriguez, Albert Ganado | Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti | ||
| Goal: The Official Encyclopaedia of the Malta Football Association | Carmel Baldacchino | Horizons | ||
| Fl-Arena ta' Moħħu: Victor Fenech – Esperimenti Stilistiċi u Protesta Soċjali | Charles Briffa | Horizons |
Biographical and Historiographic Research
| Titlu tal-ktieb / Book title | Awtur/Editur // Author/Editor | Pubblikatur // Publisher | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humillima Civitas Vallettae: From Mount Xebb-er-ras to European Capital of Culture | Godwin Vella | Heritage Malta Publishing, Malta Libraries | ||
| Marco Largi ovvero Carlo Magri: Drammaturgo Maltese (1617-1693) – Vita e Opere | Mario Pace | Midsea Books Ltd. | ||
| Fortress Colony: The Final Act 1945-1964; Vol. 4 1961-1964 | Joseph M. Pirotta | Midsea Books Ltd. | ||
| Francesco Azopardi (1748-1809): Maltese Classical Composer and Theorist | Dion Buhagiar | Faraxa Publishing | ||
| The Official Colours of Malta: Recording Malta in WWII | Caroline Miggiani | Kite Group | ||
| Giuseppe (De)Brincat: A Gozitan Wine Merchant (1890s-1930) | Michael Refalo | Kite Group | ||
| Trevelyan and Fedden: Encounters with Malta and Gozo | Lawrence Pavia | Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti | ||
| Adeodata Pisani: A Mystic Nun in Mdina | Petra Caruana Dingli | St Peter's Monastery | ||
| Maurice Caruana Curran: Guardian of Heritage and Justice | Ann Gingell Littlejohn | BDL Publishing | ||
| The Wignacourt Psalter: A Medieval Carthusian Treasure in Malta | Martina Caruana, Burkard Wehner | BDL Publishing | ||
| Public Women: Prostitute Entrepreneurs in Valletta, 1630–1798 | Christine Muscat | BDL Publishing |
