Floating book exhibition awaits retail permit

A book exhibition was yesterday inaugurated on board the floating bookshop Doulos but an application to sell books during its stay in Malta remains pending.

The GRTU, Association of General Retailers and Traders, opposes a permit being issued, on grounds that the sales would distort the market.

Booksellers contacted yesterday said however they did not object to the Doulos selling books and wished the ship's crew the best of luck.

Kristina Chetcuti, manager of Sapienza's bookshop, in Valletta, said her bookshop saw the Doulos book fair as a way to promote books.

She said the shop was never consulted by the GRTU before it took its stand. She said Sapienza's also took into account the fact that the Doulos was selling its books to raise money for its philanthropic work and that the type of books sold on board were totally different to those found at the shop.

Liz Groves, owner of Island Books of Mosta, said the people who purchased books from the Doulos were not the usual customers at bookshops in Malta and onboard sales would therefore not be detrimental to bookshops here.

She did point out however that while the ship did not pay any tax on books sold, Maltese shop owners did.

Pierre Portelli, for Agenda Bookshops, which have six outlets in Sliema, Valletta, Pembroke, and the airport, and are soon opening another in Bugibba, said that when the Doulos' sister ship, the Logos, was here in 2001, it did not have much of an impact on Agenda Bookshops, which were then only operating three shops.

"We have top of the range latest editions; they sell mostly remainder, bargain books."

Mr Portelli said Agenda Bookshops were not actively against the Doulos selling books, but as paid up members of the GRTU they respected what the association was saying.

"We believe in competition and a level playing field. If the laws say one needs a trading permit, one should not be allowed to sell without one. But if everything is in order, I do not see why they should not be granted a temporary selling licence," he argued.

Joe Tortell, publications manager of Progress Press, which is an agent for a number of book importers, could, however, see the other point of view.

"The bookshops may not feel the pinch as they might not import those particular type of books, but importers overall do as they also bring in bargain or discounted books. As members of the GRTU, we said we were against the Doulos selling books. We don't feel that being a charity justifies giving the Doulos a licence to sell."

The Doulos had applied for a permit to sell books between yesterday at noon and June 9. At noon yesterday, an inaugural ceremony was held on board the ship and the books which would have otherwise been sold are now on exhibition.

The ship's local representatives, Cassar and Cooper, are still hoping to obtain a trading licence for the ship, which berthed in Grand Harbour with 500,000 books on board on Tuesday.

Whether or not it gets its permit, the ship will be going ahead with its programme of talks, festivals, seminars and concerts.

All 299 crew members, including the captain, are volunteers, hailing from 45 nations.

The Doulos and the Logos have been coming to Malta for the past 15 to 20 years and have always sold books here.