The former head of the National Book Council, Mark Camilleri, has lashed out at his newly-appointed successor – who has his same name – and argued that he is being denied a lifetime achievement award. 

Camilleri said the newly-appointed council was full of Labour Party loyalists and demanded a new election, saying council members should also submit themselves to a vote of approval by the National Congress of Writers.

The heavy-worded exchange happened after the new chief executive, also called Mark Camilleri, wrote an introductory email to over 150 people involved in the industry.

In the politely written email, he introduced himself as the new head of the National Book Council and paid tribute to his predecessor, saying he would continue building on the work his namesake had done. 

Shove your praise up your... 

However, in a “reply all” email sent on Sunday night, the former head used harsh language to drive home his frustration at the situation.

He started off the email by telling his successor to “shove your words of praise up yours.”

He then went on a rant in which he said he had been “dishonourably discharged” from his role and listed a number of achievements and contributions he said he was responsible for. 

Camilleri then lashed out at the new book council, saying they had decided against awarding him a lifetime achievement award in literature despite his contribution to the sector. His successor was also not allowing his upcoming book to be featured on the council website, due to “allegations” it contained, he said. 

He said his successor, a schoolmaster by profession, was not qualified to be book council chairman  - "the National Book Council looks after an industry, it's not a bloody school" - and claimed that the government was trying to erase his own legacy by appointing somebody with his same name, to confuse people. 

Camilleri claimed that all members of the new council bar one were die-hard Labourites and said that he would be taking legal action if the new council did not submit itself to a new election within 30 days. 

A strong-worded legacy

The former head was himself appointed by the Labour Party, in 2013.

But in the past years he has become an increasingly vocal critic of the current administration and has called for the independent appointment of the council through elections for writers and publishers. At law the committee is appointed by the education minister.

Last year, Camilleri was asked to resign by government, after he got into a public spat with one of the lawyers representing alleged Daphne Caruana Galizia murder conspirator Yorgen Fenech.  He had stayed on in his position after conceding that the foul language he had used in the post was not appropriate.  

In 2019, he had ended up in a heated confrontation with then education minister Evarist Bartolo, accusing the politician of backroom tactics to block the book council’s funding.