National Book Council
 | |
| Abbreviation | NBC |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 (24 years ago) |
| Types | cultural institution, ISBN registration agency, public enterprise |
| Headquarters | Floriana |
| Country | Malta |
| Chairpersons | Mark Camilleri |
| Website | ktieb |
The National Book Council (Maltese: Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb), is a Maltese public entity dedicated to the promotion of the book industry in Malta.[1]
The council organises the Malta Book Festival (Maltese: Il-Festival Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb), The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth (Maltese: Konkors ta' Kitba Letteratura għaż-Żgħażagħ)[2] and other national and regional events, workshops, seminars and contests. It also confers the National Book Prize (Maltese: Premju Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb), administers Public Lending Rights, and is Malta's registration agent for ISBN[3] and ISMN.[4][5]
History
[edit]The National Book Council (NBC) was established by the Government of Malta in 2001 through subsidiary Legislation 605.12, operating under the remit of the Ministry for Education.[6]
Since its inception, the NBC has played a pivotal role in nurturing and developing the Maltese book industry, and in fostering Malta's literary culture by supporting authors, publishers, and readers through various initiatives, contests, and events.[4] The NBC, therefore, acts as both a regulatory and promotional body, offering direct support to stakeholders in the book industry while also advocating for reading and writing as a cultural priority.
The council's flagship initiatives are the National Book Prize, the Malta Book Fund,[7] and the Malta Book Festival.[8] Additionally, the NBC administers a Public Lending Rights (PLR) scheme, ensuring Maltese authors receive fair compensation when their books are borrowed from public libraries in Malta.[9]
In 2025, the NBC published its Five-Year Strategic Vision. The strategy aims to map out the trajectory of the NBC for the period 2025–2030, setting long-term goals and improvements that are responsive to both stakeholder needs and market realities.[10]
Purpose
[edit]The NBC plays an official role in shaping the literary and book publishing landscape in Malta, ensuring the development and sustainability of the sector while also enhancing public engagement with Maltese Literature.[6] As established by law, its main tasks related to policy, regulation, and advocacy, by supporting publishing professionals, organizing national events, prizes, and contests. Other tasks include cultural export and international outreach.[4]
In 1971, the Literary Prize for books in Maltese was set up with the aim to encourage Maltese literature. Notable authors who were awarded this Prize include Anton Buttigieg, Francis Ebejer, Oliver Friggieri, Joe Friggieri, and Trevor Zahra. The organization of the Prize was passed to the National Book Council upon its formation in 2001. There are nowadays several categories within the Prize, including novels, short stories, poetry, translation, nonfiction, and research. Notable winners since 2001 include Trevor Zahra, Guido Lanfranco, Giovanni Bonello, Joe Friggieri, and Albert Ganado.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "National Book Council". www.gov.mt. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth | Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb". 29 June 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ "Malta releases its ISBN database online as open data | International ISBN Agency". www.isbn-international.org. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb". Ktieb.org.mt. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Malta's ISBN Database" (PDF). isbndatabasemalta.org (in Maltese and English). 1 June 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ a b "LEĠIŻLAZZJONI MALTA". legislation.mt. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Malta Book Fund to foster cultural growth in the local book market". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ Camilleri, Mark (21 November 2018). "The importance of the Malta Book Festival". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ Carabott, Sarah (31 October 2014). "Authors to be paid for library lending". Times of Malta. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ Debono, James (1 May 2025). "National Book Council to push for basic income scheme for writers". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (22 April 2022). "History Of The National Book Prize". ktieb.org.mt. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
External links
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