Il-programm kulturali tal-Festival Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2022 għandu aktar minn mitt attività mmirati lejn il-pubbliku ġenerali, it-tfal u l-familji tagħhom, kif ukoll lejn il-professjonisti tal-industrija tal-pubblikazzjoni: tnedijiet u preżentazzjonijiet ta’ kotba, produzzjonijiet teatrali, workshops u konferenzi. Diversi attivitajiet huma mmirati għall-partijiet interessati ewlenin tal-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb (KNK) – il-pubblikaturi, l-awturi, it-tradutturi, l-edituri, l-illustraturi, u d-disinjaturi grafiċi. Il-KNK għandu l-għan li jsaħħaħ in-networks professjonali waqt li jkattar l-opportunitajiet għall-komunità kreattiva. Kull attività hija bla ħlas, imma wħud minn dawn is-sessjonijiet jenħtieġu reġistrazzjoni.
Speed Dating Letterarju: ibbukkja appuntament
L-avveniment Literary Speed Dating, li se jittella’ nhar is-Sibt, 26 ta’ Novembru jagħti l-opportunità unika biex tibbukkja laqgħa individwali wiċċ imb wiċċ ta’ kwarta ma’ diversi professjonisti mill-industrija tal-pbblikazzjoni f’ambjent privat. Sija jekk qed tfittex x’għandu jkun l-ewwel pass tiegħek biex tippubblika, sija jekk qed tfittex li tippiċċja l-ktieb tiegħek ma’ pubblikatur, dan l-avveniment għandu jgħodd għalik.
Fost il-professjonisti disponibbli għal laqgħa individwali se jkun hemm l-aġent ta’ John Boyne, Simon Trewin; l-editriċi tal-kotba Elizabeth Cortis; il-poeta lawreata Nadia Mifsud; l-illustratur u direttur tal-arti Gattaldo; il-pubblikatriċi u kofundatriċi ta’ Praspar Press Kat Storace; it-traduttriċi letterarja Jen Calleja; u l-awtriċi rebbieħa ta’ diversi premji u traduttriċi Antoinette Borg. Ir-reġistrazzjonijiet huma miftuħa hawnhekk.
Punt ta’ tlaqqigħ għall-illustraturi u disinjaturi grafiċi
Fil-qalba tal-Festival, flimkien mal-istands tal-esebituri, se jkun hemm l-esibizzjoni From Illustration to Book, kollaborazzjoni bejn il-KNK u l-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti (ACM). Din se tipprovdi vetrina għall-illustraturi u d-disinjaturi grafiċi li jaħdmu fl-industrija tal-pubblikazzjoni, fejn l-arti viżiva u l-letteratura jimxu id f’id.
Bħala parti mill-programm tal-esibizzjoni, l-ACM se jkun qed jorganizza diversi sessjonijiet ‘Iltaqa’ mal-Artist’. L-ewwel sessjoni se tittella’ nhar l-Erbgħa, 23 mal-awtur Trevor Żahra, segwita minn oħra l-għada mal-Malta Community of Illustrators. Nhar il-Sibt, 26, il-pubblikaturi Chris Gruppetta (Merlin Publishers) u Joseph Mizzi (Klabb Kotba Maltin) se jkunu l-mistiedna speċjali, waqt li nhar il-Ħadd, 27, se jkun imiss lill-illustraturi Marisa Attard u Matt Stroud bħala l-artisti mistiedna. Il-Malta Community of Illustrators se tkun ukoll qed torganizza l-ewwel attitività ta’ tlaqqigħ li matulha se tniedi t-tieni volum tal-pubblikazzjoni annwali tagħhom. Aktar dettalji jinsabu hawnhekk.
L-Awtoppubblikar: agħti sehmek permezz tal-esperjenza tiegħek
Xi awturi awtoppubblikati għażlu li jkunu l-MFCC fost l-esebituri bil-kotba tagħhom. Se tittella’ diskussjoni mmirata għal-qasam tal-awtoppubblikar, Awtoppubblikar – Enfasi fuq il-kwalità. L-awturi li jiddeċiedu li jippubblikaw huma nfushom jaħsbu li jridu jagħmlu kollox waħedhom. Imma biex ktieb awtoppubblikat jittieħed bis-serjetà, irrid jilħaq l-istess standards għolja tal-pubblikaturi tradizzjonali. Dan il-panel se jiddiskuti ir-rotta għall-awtoppubblikar u kif professjonisti tal-industrija jistgħu jassiguraw pubblikazzjoni ta’ kwalità għolja. L-awtur John Bonello se jimmodera d-diskussjoni, bil-parteċipazzjoni tal-editriċi Elizabeth Cortis, il-qarrej tal-provi Dwayne Ellul, u l-illustratur u disinjatur Julian Mallia.
Qrara ta’ Aġent Letterarju: Malta lesta għaliha?
L-aġent letterarju Simon Trewin se jagħmel diskors li fih se jirrifletti fuq l-irwol tal-aġent li jsarraf kemm jista’ jkun il-potenzjal tal-awtur minn perspettiva kreattiva u ta’ negozju. Se jħares lejn it-tranżizzjoni li għaddiet minnha d-dinja globali tal-pubblikazzjoni mill-bidu tad-disgħinijiet sa issa, bil-għan li jiġbor biżejjed perspettivi lokali biex jgħin fil-ħolqien ta’ aġenzija letterarja f’Malta.
Trewin ħadem ma’ diversi awuri internazzjonali bestsellers, fosthom John Boyne, u miss ma’ medda ta’ oqsma bħal dawk tal-ktieb, il-film, it-teatru u l-qasam diġitali, għalhekk għandu biżżejjed esperjenza biex jitkellem fuq l-irwol tal-aġent u jwieġeb għal mistoqsijiet minn awturi prospettivi, ippubblikati jew individwi li qed ifittxu li jibdew karriera fid-dinja tal-pubblikazzjoni. Tista’ tirreġistra minn fuq din il-ħolqa.
Workshop tal-illustrazzjoni għat-tfal
Gattaldo, l-illustratur tal-poster tal-Festival ta’ din is-sena, u l-awtur tal-ktieb tat-tfal Fearless, se jagħti workshop tal-illustrazzjoni ta’ darba mmirat għal tfal bejn seba’ u tnax-il sena. Minħabba li l-postijiet huma limitati għal għoxrin, jenħtieġ tirreġistra hawnhekk. Se jiġu pprovduti l-materjali meħtieġa għal dan il-workshop.
Il-poeżija Maltija timraħ lil hinn
Waqt iċ-ċerimonja tal-għoti tal-premjijiet tal-Konkors Nazzjonali tal-Poeżija Doreen Micallef, li se tittella’ nhar il-Ġimgħa, 25 ta’ Novembru, il-KNK se jħabbar id-dettalji fuq il-kollaborazzjoni ma’ Modern Poetry in Translation, rivista tal-poeżija mir-Renju Unit li tippubblika l-aqwa poeżija dinjija kontemporanja. Permezz ta’ din il-kollaborazjoni, se tiġi ppubblikata sezzjoni f’din ir-rivista ta’ poeżija Maltija tradotta f’waħda mill-ħarġiet tal-2023.
Aktar dettalji fuq tressiq ta’ applikazzjonijiet, regolamenti u dati tal-għeluq se jitħabbru matul dan l-avveniment.
Il-Festival Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb huwa l-akbar u l-aktar ċelebrazzjoni wiesgħa tal-kultura tal-ktieb f’Malta. Il-ħinijiet tal-ftuħ tal-Festival huma kif ġejjin: minn nhar l-Erbgħa sal-Ħamis mid-9am sas-1pm u mill-5:30pm sad-9pm; nhar il-Ġimgħa mid-9am sas-1pm u mill-5:30pm sal-10pm; nhar is-Sibt mid-9:30am sal-10pm, u nhar il-Ħadd mid-9:30am sat-8pm.
Il-programm sħiħ tal-avveniment għall-Festival Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb jinsab online hawnhekk. Għall-aħħar aġġornamenti, jekk jogħġbok segwi s-sit tal-KNK, il-paġna ta’ Facebook tal-KNK, kif ukoll il-paġna tal-avveniment The Malta Book Festival 2022.
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Events for Maltese publishing industry professionals at the 2022 Malta Book Festival: save the date and book
The 2022 Malta Book Festival’s cultural programme features more than one hundred major events aimed at the general public, children and their families, and publishing industry professionals: book launches, book presentations, dramatic performances, workshops and conferences. A number of events target the main stakeholders of the National Book Council (NBC) – publishers, authors, translators, editors, illustrators, graphic designers. The NBC aims at strengthening professional networks while increasing opportunities for the creative community. All events are free of charge, but some of these sessions require a registration.
Literary Speed-Dating: book your slot
The Literary Speed Dating event on Saturday 26 November will give a unique opportunity to book for a fifteen-minute one-to-one meeting with a number of industry professionals publishing professionals in a private setting. Whether you are looking for advice to take the first step to publishing, or whether you are looking to pitch a book with a publisher, this event will appeal to you.
The professionals available for an individual meeting include John Boyne’s agent Simon Trewin; book editor Elizabeth Cortis; poet laureate Nadia Mifsud; illustrator and art-director Gattaldo; co-founder and publisher at Praspar Press Kat Storace; literary translator Jen Calleja; and prize-winning author and translator Antoinette Borg. Registrations are now open and you can register through this link.
A hotspot for illustrators and graphic designers
At the centre-stage of the Malta Book Festival, alongside the exhibitors’ stand, will be the exhibition From Illustration to Book, a collaboration between the National Book Council and Arts Council Malta (ACM). The exhibition provides a showcase for illustrators and graphic designers working in and around the publishing industry, where visual arts and literature work hand in hand.
As part of the exhibition programme, ACM will be organising a number of Meet the Artist Sessions. The first session will be held on Wednesday 23 with author Trevor Żahra, followed by another on Thursday 24 with the Malta Community of Illustrators. On Saturday 26, publishers Chris Gruppetta (Merlin Publishers) and Joseph Mizzi (Klabb Kotba Maltin) will be ACM’s special guests, while on Sunday 27, it will be illustrators Marisa Attard and Matt Stroud’s turn. The Malta Community of Illustrators will also be organising their first official meetup event and launching their second volume of their Annual. More details can be found here.
Self-publishing: contribute with your publishing experience
Some self-published authors have chosen to be at MFCC among the exhibitors showcasing and selling their books. A discussion will be held targeting this segment of the publishing world, titled Self Publishing: A Focus on Quality. Writers who decide to self-publish often think they have to do everything on their own. For a self-published book to be taken seriously, it needs to meet the same high standards held by traditional publishing houses. This panel will discuss the route to self-publishing and how industry professionals can ensure a high-quality publication. Author John Bonello will be moderating the discussion with editor Elizabeth Cortis, proofreader Dwayne Ellul, and illustrator and designer Julian Mallia.
Confessions of a Literary Agent: is Malta ready for one?
Veteran literary agent Simon Trewin will hold a keynote reflecting on the role of the agent in maximising an author’s potential from a creative and a business perspective. The transition the global publishing world has gone through since the early 1990s will be looked at, with an idea in mind to gather local perspectives to help establish a literary agency in Malta.
Having worked with a host of international bestselling authors, including John Boyne, across books, film, theatre and digital Trewin is well placed to talk about the agent’s role and to answer questions from prospective authors, published authors or individuals looking to embark on a career in publishing. Attendance is by registration on this link.
Live illustration workshop for children
Gattaldo, the illustrator of this year’s Malta Book Festival poster and the author of the children’s book Fearless, will give a one-off one-hour illustration workshop session for children aged 7 to 12. Since the number of participants is limited to twenty, register for a spot here. All materials will be provided.
Travelling Maltese poetry
During the award-giving ceremony of the Doreen Micallef National Poetry Contest on Friday 25 November, the National Book Council will announce the details of its collaboration with Modern Poetry in Translation, the UK poetry magazine that showcases the best of contemporary world poetry. Through this collaboration, a focus section in the 2023 issue for Maltese poetry in English translation will be published.
More details on submissions, regulations and deadlines will be outlined during the event, whose details can be found here.
The Malta Book Festival is the largest and most extensive celebration of the book culture in Malta.It runs between 23-27 November at the following opening hours: on Wednesday and Thursday from 9am-1pm and 5:30pm-9pm; on Friday from 9am-1pm and 5:30pm-10pm; on Saturday from 9:30am-10pm, and on Sunday from 9:30am-8pm.
The full programme of events for the 2022 Malta Book Festival is available online here. For the latest updates, please follow the NBC website, and the NBC Facebook page and Malta Book Festival 2022 Facebook event page