With the theme #beyondbooks, highlighting literature’s ability to transcend the written word, this edition of the most popular book-related event strives to deliver a multisensory experience that goes beyond the written word for the worlds of illustration, music, theatre, film, and more.
One can find a full list of exhibitors here.
The event will be held at the MFCC, Ta' Qali, and runs until Sunday, October 22. There will be around 50 exhibitors and boasts a jam-packed programme featuring a variety of local and international participants. This year’s festival will be divided across several thematic areas.
Apart from offering a varied celebration of the book in all of its forms, The Malta Book Festival also aims to serve as an exciting fixture in the local cultural calendar, thanks in large part to the international guests that grace its programme. This year, the Malta Book Festival will be welcoming best-selling Irish crime writer Sam Blake, as well as her agent Simon Trewin — the latter of whom will be on his second visit to the festival. Blake and Trewin will actively be helping out aspiring authors to both improve their craft and navigate the publishing industry, through free-of-charge workshop and masterclass sessions.
UK children’s books editor and debuting novelist Charlie Castelletti — who boasts Maltese heritage — will also be delivering a masterclass on writing for children and young readers, while the founding members of Praspar Press, which is focused on publishing contemporary Maltese writing in English, will deliver a session on editing.
This year, the National Book Council will be honouring the legacy of historian Henry Frendo, the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 edition of the National Book Prize, with the premiere of a new documentary produced by Blank Canvas Creatives and financed by the NBC.
Opening hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to1pm and from 5 to 9pm; on Friday from 9am to 1pm and from 5 to 10pm; on Saturday from 9.30am to 10pm; and on Sunday from 9.30am to 8pm.
One can find the full programme of events here.