Il-Konkors ta’ Kitba – Letteratura għaż-Żgħażagħ huwa konkors li jiġi organizzat kull sena mill-Aġenzija Żgħażagħ u l-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb. L-għan tal-konkors huwa li jintgħażlu, jiġu ppremjati u ppubblikati rumanzi bil-Malti miktubin apposta għaż-żgħażagħ adolexxenti; rumanzi li jesploraw id-dinja tal-adolexxenti tal-lum, b’dak kollu li din il-fażi tal-ħajja ġġib magħha. B’hekk l-organizzaturi jittamaw li bil-mod il-mod fis-suq jibdew jiżdiedu aktar kotba f’dan il-ġeneru u l-adolexxenti jsibu qari bil-Malti li jinteressahom u jimmotivahom. Permezz ta’ dan il-konkors, l-organizzaturi jaspiraw li l-manuskritti sottomessi jkunu tal-ogħla livell letterarju.
Ir-riżultati tal-edizzjoni tal-Konkors fl-2020 tħabbru f’ċerimonja preseduta mill-Ministru għall-Inklużjoni u l-Kwalità tal-Ħajja Julia Farrugia Portelli u s-Segretarju Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ Clifton Grima, nhar it-Tlieta 12 ta’ Jannar 2021 il-Youth Village tal-Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, f’Santa Venera. Ir-rebbieħ tal-Konkors, Marlon Chircop, ingħata premju ta’ €1,000, kif ukoll sussidju ta’ € 2,000 għall-pubblikazzjoni tal-manuskritt rebbieħ, Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor, li se jkun qed jiġu offrut lill-awtur wara l-iffirmar ta’ ftehim ta’ pubblikazzjoni ma’ pubblikatur lokali tal-għażla tiegħu.
Waqt id-diskors tagħhom, l-organizzaturi rrimarkaw li permezz tal-Konkors jaspiraw li jippromwovu u jippremjaw xogħlijiet b’kontenut letterarju għoli. Apparti minn hekk dan il-Konkors għandu l-għan li jixħet dawl fuq il-letteratura għaż-żgħażagħ sabiex l-awturi jissottomettu rumanzi oriġinali għaż-żgħażagħ li huma ta’ natura innovattiva u mhux didattika jew moralizzanti. B’riżultat ta’ dan, iż-żgħażagħ igawdu minn żieda fin-numru disponibbli ta’ kotba mmirati għall-grupp tal-età tagħhom, li tistimulahom biex jibdew esperjenzi tal-qari ġodda u eċitanti.
Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb irringrazzja lill-evalwaturi indipendenti tal-Konkors 2020, Dr Josette Attard, John A. Bonello u Kevin Saliba, tax-xogħol siewi tagħhom. Il-manuskritt rebbieħ intgħażel minn fost sitt sottomisjonjiet li l-Konkors irċieva fl-2020 u li ġew evalwati skont damma ta’ kriterji stabbiliti, fosthom l-iżvilupp tal-istorja u l-karattri, l-oriġinalità, il-lingwa, u l-kwalità.
Waqt il-konferenza stampa li saret wara ċ-ċerimonja msemmija, l-Aġenzija Żgħażagħ u l-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb ġeddew uffiċjalment il-kollaborazzjoni tagħhom u nedew l-edizzjoni tal-Konkors għas-sena 2021. Għaldaqstant, il-kittieba huma mistiedna jissottomettu manuskritti oriġinali għal udjenza żagħżugħa ta’ bejn it-13 u l-15-il sena. L-applikanti għal dan il-konkors jistgħu jissottomettu x-xogħol tagħhom individwalment, jew inkella bħala grupp. Billi l-Konkors huwa ġġudikat b’mod anonimu, ix-xogħlijiet għandhom jiġu ffirmati biss bi psewdonimu.
L-entitajiet konċernati qegħdin iħabbru li l-applikanti jistgħu jissottomettu l-applikazzjonijiet u l-manuskritti tagħhom, bil-posta jew direttament, sat-Tnejn 6 ta’ Settembru 2021 f’nofsinhar fl-indirizz t’hawn taħt:
Aġenzija Żgħażagħ
Triq il-Kbira San Ġużepp,
Santa Venera
SVR 1013
Aktar informazzjoni dwar l-applikazzjonijiet għal dan il-Konkors u r-regoli tal-aġġudikazzjoni jinsabu ppubblikat fuq is-siti elettroniċi tal-Aġezija Żgħażagħ u l-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb.
Tislijiet,
Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb
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12 January 2021
The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth
The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth is a writing contest that selects, rewards and publishes Maltese novels written for young adolescent readers between 13 and 15 years. The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth is a joint collaboration of Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the National Book Council.
The results of the 2020 edition of the Contest have been announced on the evening of Tuesday 12 January during an award ceremony presided by Minister for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing Julia Farrugia Portelli and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Clifton Grima, and held at the Aġenzija Żgħażagħ Youth Village in Sta Venera. As the winner of the 2020 Contest, author Marlon Chircop was awarded a €1,000 cash prize. A €2,000 subsidy towards the publication of the winning manuscript Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor will be offered to the author following the signing of a publication agreement with a local publisher of his choice.
During their speech, the organisers pointed out they aspire at promoting excellence by awarding works of a high literary content. Additional rationales behind this competition include raising awareness about youth literature and for authors to submit original novels for youth which are innovative and non-didactic or moralising in nature. As a result, young people will benefit from an increase in the available number of books targeted for their age group, which will stimulate them to embark on new and exciting reading experiences. The National Book Council thanked the 2020 Contest independent board of adjudicators Dr Josette Attard, John A. Bonello and Kevin Saliba for their work. They selected the winning entry out of six entries submitted in 2020 according to a set of established criteria: development of plot and characters, originality, language and quality.
During the press conference which followed the award ceremony, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the National Book Council officially renewed their collaboration and launched the 2021 edition of the Contest. Authors are thus being hereby invited to submit their original manuscripts aimed at young people aged 13 to 15 years old for consideration. Applicants can be individuals or groups of authors submitting – since the contest is judged anonymously, works should be signed only by a nom de plume.
Interested applicants are being notified that they may submit their work until noon Monday 6 September 2021. Applications together with manuscripts should be mailed or hand delivered to:
Aġenzija Żgħażagħ
St. Joseph High Road,
Sta Venera
SVR 1013
More information on the application process and the evaluation criteria of the Contest are made available by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the National Book Council on their respective websites.
