Ir-rebbieħa tal-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2021 tħabbru waqt ċerimonja ġewwa l-Berġa ta’ Kastilja taħt il-patroċinju tal-Uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru, li attenda għaliha is-Segretarju Permanenti għall-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni, Dr Francis Fabri. Il-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb jingħata kull sena mill-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb bil-għan li jiċċelebra l-ogħla kisbiet fil-pubblikazzjoni tal-letteratura u r-riċerka f’Malta.
Fid-diskors tal-ftuħ il-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (KNK), Mark Camilleri, laqa’ lill-finalisti kollha għal diċ-ċerimonja li, għal darb’oħra, ġabret lill-awturi u lill-pubblikaturi kollha taħt saqaf wieħed. Innota wkoll li ċ-ċerimonja tal-lejla ħadet bixra simbolika, hekk kif il-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb għalaq il-50 sena tiegħu mindu ngħata l-ewwel darba fl-1971. Camilleri rrimarka li, minkejja l-isfidi li s-sena 2020 ġabet magħha lill-industrija tal-ktieb, l-għadd ta’ kotba ppubblikati kien ta’ tħeġġiġ il-qalb u allura l-okkażjoni taċ-ċerimonja nnifisha kienet xhieda tar-reżiljenza tal-pubblikazzjoni Maltija. Kompla jgħid li l-2021 kienet sena oħra ta’ xogħol ma jaqta’ xejn għall-KNK, u fl-irwol tiegħu se jfittex li jsaħħaħ lill-Kunsill sabiex is-sapport lill-industrija jikber bis-saħħa ta’ ħidmiet u sinerġiji ġodda ma’ entitajet u istituzzjonijiet pubbliċi oħra. Sostna li l-KNK huwa miftuħ għal kollaborazzjonijiet varji li jagħtu frott issa u fil-ġejjieni. Camilleri feraħ lill-finalisti u żied jgħid li l-lista tal-kotba li kkompetew għall-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb, miktuba kemm minn awturi stabbiliti u oħrajn ġodda, huma turija tal-istandards eċċellenti li l-industrja qiegħda dejjem tħabrek sabiex tilħaq.
Il-kotba rebbieħa ntgħażlu minn bord ta’ aġġudikazzjoni indipendenti minn lista ta’ finalisti li għaddet 46 ktieb, kollha ppubblikati s-sena ta’ qabel u mifruxa fi tmien kategoriji kompetittivi. Il-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb għall-kategorija tar-rumanzi mar għand Gioele Galea għall-ktieb In-Nar Għandu Isem: Noti minn Paġna Intima (Horizons). Ir-rebbieħa l-oħra huma Lara Calleja bil-ktieb Kissirtu Kullimkien (Merlin Publishers) fil-kategorija tan-novelli, Carmel Scicluna li rebaħ il-kategorija tal-poeżija bil-ktieb L-Ambjent li Qeridna: Poeżiji (2017-2020) (Horizons), Immanuel Mifsud u Toni Sant li flimkien kitbu l-ktieb rebbieħ fil-kategorija tal-letteratura mhux fittizja, Jien – Noti – Jien: Ħsejjes u Stejjer (Klabb Kotba Maltin), u Paul Zahra li rebaħ il-kategorija tat-traduzzjonijiet bil-ktieb Mix-Xaqliba ta’ Dar Swann – Ismijiet ta’ Pajjiżi: L-Isem (Awtoppubblikat), oriġinarjament ta’ Marcel Proust. Imbagħad il-premju għall-kategorija tar-riċerka ġenerali mar għand Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci għal The Beheading of Ignez: Katabasis, Ezra Pound and Three Maltese Artists (Horizons), il-kategorija tar-riċerka bijografika u storjografika ntrebħet minn Martin Micallef, l-editur ta’ Crux Invicta: Il-Kurċifiss Mirakuluż u l-Kapuċċini f’Għawdex (Midsea Books), u l-Premju għall-Aħjar Produzzjoni ta’ Ktieb bl-Isbaħ Dehra mar għand Midsea Books għall-pubblikazzjoni tal-ktieb The Addolorata Cemetery.
Il-Premju għall-Aħjar Awtur Emerġenti mar għand Stephen Lughermo, l-awtur ta’ rumanzi għaż-żgħażagħ, għat-tfal, u tal-ġabra ta’ novelli Ċelel Bla Ħitan (Horizons, 2020). U f’ġieħ karriera twila bħala poetessa u kittieba ta’ rumanzi, il-Premju għall-Kontribut Siewi fil-Qasam tal-Kotba u l-Letteratura mar għand Rena Balzan. Minbarra l-kontribuzzjonijet letterarji tagħha, Balzan kienet għal ħafna żmien Professur Assoċjat tal-Ġenetika u l-Bijoloġija Molekulari fil-Fakultà tal-Mediċina u l-Kirurġija fl-Università ta’ Malta.
Is-Segretarju Permanenti għall-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni, Dr Francis Fabri, fakkar fir-relazzjoni sfiqa li hemm bejn l-identità nazzjonali u l-letteratura ta’ pajjiż. Saħaq fuq l-importanza tal-kontribut tal-kittieba u tal-pubblikaturi lejn l-iżvilupp tal-identità nazzjonali li huma isawru bix-xogħlijiet tagħhom; identità ħajja u dinamika bħal dik ta’ Malta tiddependi wkoll fuq l-isforzi kontinwi tal-kittieba sabiex iġedduha b’osservazzjonijiet dwar ir-realtajiet soċjali, politiċi u ekonomiċi tal-pajjiż. Dr Fabri temm diskorsu bi kliem il-filosfu Jean Paul Sartre dwar kif il-kliem huwa azzjoni, impenn, u tqanqil għall-bidla fil-qarrej u l-komunità.
Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb jixtieq jirringrazzja lill-membri kollha tal-bord tal-aġġudikazzjoni tal-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2021; Prof. William Zammit, is-Sr Mario Ellul u s-Sa Maria Giuliana Fenech għall-kategoriji tar-‘Riċerka Ġenerali’, ir-‘Riċerka Bijografika u Storjografika’, u l-‘Letteratura mhux Fittizja’; is-Sur John Grech, Dr Stephen Bonanno u s-Sa Rowna Baldacchino għall-kategoriji tal-letteratura, u lill-Kap Eżekuttiv ta’ Malta Libraries, is-Sa Cheryl Falzon għall-klassifikazzjoni tal-kotba. Il-KNK jirringrazzja wkoll mill-ġdid lil Dr Nicole Bugeja, is-Sa Kristy Borg u s-Sa Ruth Ancilleri li ġġudikaw il-kategoriji kollha tal-Premju Terramaxka għal kotba tat-tfal u l-adolexxenti, liema rebbieħa tħabbru fil-ftuħ tal-Festival Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2021.
Il-lista tar-rebbieħa:
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA RUMANZI BIL-MALTI U BL-INGLIŻ
GIOELE GALEA – IN-NAR GĦANDU ISEM: NOTI MINN PAĠNA INTIMA
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA NOVELLI BIL-MALTI U BL-INGLIŻ
LARA CALLEJA – KISSIRTU KULLIMKIEN
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA POEŻIJA BIL-MALTI U BL-INGLIŻ
CARMEL SCICLUNA – L-AMBJENT LI QERIDNA: POEŻIJI (2017-2020)
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA DRAMA BIL-MALTI U BL-INGLIŻ
IL-PREMJU MA NGĦATAX
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA TRADUZZJONI
PAUL ZAHRA – MIX-XAQLIBA TA’ DAR SWANN – ISMIJIET TA’ PAJJIŻI: L-ISEM
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA LETTERATURA MHUX FITTIZJA
IMMANUEL MIFSUD, TONI SANT – JIEN – NOTI – JIEN: ĦSEJJES U STEJJER
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA RIĊERKA ĠENERALI
GIUSEPPE SCHEMBRI BONACI –
The Beheading of Ignez: Katabasis, Ezra Pound and Three Maltese Artists
IR-REBBIEĦ FIL-KATEGORIJA RIĊERKA BIJOGRAFIKA U STORJOGRAFIKA
MARTIN MICALLEF (Ed.) –
CRUX INVICTA: IL-KURĊIFISS MIRAKULUŻ U L-KAPUĊĊINI F’GĦAWDEX
PREMJU GĦALL-AĦJAR PRODUZZJONI TA’ KTIEB BL-ISBAĦ DEHRA
MIDSEA BOOKS – The Addolorata Cemetery
PREMJU GĦALL-AĦJAR AWTUR EMERĠENTI
STEPHEN LUGHERMO
PREMJU GĦALL-KONTRIBUT SIEWI FIL-QASAM TAL-KOTBA U L-LETTERATURA
RENA BALZAN
2021 National Book Prize Winners Announced
The winners of the 2021 National Book Prize have been announced this evening during a ceremony held at the Auberge de Castille under the auspices of the Office the Prime Minister and attended by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Education Dr Francis Fabri. The National Book Prize is presented annually by the National Book Council with the aim of celebrating the highest achievements in literary and research publishing in Malta.
In his opening address, the National Book Council (NBC) Executive Chairperson Mark Camilleri welcomed all National Book Prize finalists to an awards ceremony that was once again gathering authors and publishers under one roof – a ceremony which also commemorates the 50th anniversary since the National Book Prize was first awarded in 1971. Camilleri noted that despite the challenges which the previous year brought on the local book industry, the number of publications produced in 2020 was heartening and that the ceremony would also be in recognition of the resilience of Maltese publishing. Camilleri affirmed that 2021 was another year of rigorous work for the Council and that his primary objective in his new role is to see the Council strengthened to be able to better support the industry, and renewed through synergies with other entities and public institutions. Above all else, the National Book Council will be open to any collaboration out of which Maltese publishing will benefit at present and in the future. Camilleri congratulated all finalists adding that the shortlisted books competing for the National Book Prize, authored by new and established authors, are representative of the excellent standards that the industry continuously strives for.
The winning titles have been selected by independent adjudication panels from a shortlist of 46 titles, published in the preceding year, across across eight competitive categories. The National Book Prize for the Novels category was awarded to Gioele Galea for the book In-Nar Għandu Isem: Noti minn Paġna Intima (Horizons). Other winners included Lara Calleja’s Kissirtu Kullimkien (Merlin Publishers) in the Short-story category, Carmel Scicluna with the poetry collection L-Ambjent li Qeridna: Poeżiji (2017-2020) (Horizons), Immanuel Mifsud and Toni Sant for Jien – Noti – Jien: Ħsejjes u Stejjer (Klabb Kotba Maltin) in the Literary Non-Fiction category, and Paul Zahra for his translation of the final part of the first volume of Marcel Proust’s magnum opus, Mix-Xaqliba ta’ Dar Swann – Ismijiet ta’ Pajjiżi: L-Isem (self-published). The National Book Prize for General Research was awarded to Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci for The Beheading of Ignez: Katabasis, Ezra Pound and Three Maltese Artists (Horizons) – the Prize for Biographical and Historiographic Research was awarded to Martin Micallef, editor of Crux Invicta: Il-Kurċifiss Mirakuluż u l-Kapuċċini f’Għawdex (Midsea Books). Midsea Books was awarded the Prize for Best Book Production for its work on The Addolorata Cemetery.
The Award for Best Emerging Author was given to Stephen Lughermo, author of young adult novels, books for children, and the short-story collections Ċelel Bla Ħitan (Horizons, 2020). In recognition of a long standing career as an established poet and novelist, the Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Dr Rena Balzan – beyond her literary contributions, for several years Balzan was Associate Professor in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Malta.
On the occasion of the National Book Prize’s 50th anniversary, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Education Dr Francis Fabri spoke of the strong ties linking national identity and the country’s literature. He stressed the importance of writers’ and publishers’ contributions towards the development of national identity which they help shape with their works; a living and dynamic identity such as that of Malta’s also relies on writers’ continued efforts to renew it with observations that capture the country’s social, political, and economic realities. Dr Fabri concluded his address with reference to the words by the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre on how written words are in themselves action, commitment, and the impetus for change in the reader and the community.
The National Book Council would like to thank the members of the jury who served on the adjudication board for the 2021 National Book Prize; Prof. William Zammit, Mr Mario Ellul and Ms Maria Giuliana Fenech for the categories of General Research, Biographical and Historiographic Research and Literary Non-Fiction, Mr John Grech, Dr Stephen Bonanno and Ms Rowna Baldacchino for the literary categories, and Malta Libraries CEO Ms Cheryl Falzon for the classification. The NBC also extends its thanks to Dr Nicole Bugeja, Ms Kristy Borg and Ms Ruth Ancilleri, the adjudicators of the Premju Terramaxka for children and adolescents which was awarded during the opening night of the 2021 Malta Book Festival.
The full list of winners:
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY NOVELS IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH
GIOELE GALEA – IN-NAR GĦANDU ISEM: NOTI MINN PAĠNA INTIMA
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY SHORT STORIES IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH
LARA CALLEJA – KISSIRTU KULLIMKIEN
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY POETRY IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH
CARMEL SCICLUNA – L-AMBJENT LI QERIDNA: POEŻIJI (2017-2020)
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY DRAMA IN MALTESE AND ENGLISH
PRIZE NOT AWARDED
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY TRANSLATION
PAUL ZAHRA – MIX-XAQLIBA TA’ DAR SWANN – ISMIJIET TA’ PAJJIŻI: L-ISEM
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY LITERARY NON-FICTION
IMMANUEL MIFSUD, TONI SANT – JIEN – NOTI – JIEN: ĦSEJJES U STEJJER
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY GENERAL RESEARCH
GIUSEPPE SCHEMBRI BONACI –
The Beheading of Ignez: Katabasis, Ezra Pound and Three Maltese Artists
WINNER OF THE CATEGORY BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORIOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH
MARTIN MICALLEF (Ed.) –
CRUX INVICTA: IL-KURĊIFISS MIRAKULUŻ U L-KAPUĊĊINI F’GĦAWDEX
PRIZE FOR THE BEST BOOK PRODUCTION
MIDSEA BOOKS – The Addolorata Cemetery
PRIZE FOR THE BEST EMERGING AUTHOR
STEPHEN LUGHERMO
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO LITERATURE
RENA BALZAN
