Maltese author Ġorġ Peresso won an award for the best work of literary fiction prize while three journalists were awarded for a non-fiction book about Daphne Caruana Galizia at the 2020 National Book Prize ceremony.
Trevor Zahra, whose books have delighted entire generations of Maltese, was given a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to literature.
Peresso’s novel Il-Wiċċ l-Ieħor was named the best novel in Maltese or English during the past year, while John Aquilina’s book Tluq was named the best work of poetry in Maltese. An equivalent prize for English-language poetry was not awarded.
It was one of two honours Aquilina received on the night, with the poet also named the year's poet laureate. Aquilina had already won the prize for best poetry back in 2011.
Aleks Farrugia’s novella Għall-Glorja tal-Patrija: Kapriċċi Patrijottiċi was named the year’s best short novel in English or Maltese, while Simone Spiteri’s Żewġ Drammi: Appuntament/Repubblika Immakulata took home the prize for the year’s best script in English or Maltese.
Journalists Carlo Bonini, Manuel Delia and John Sweeney’s book Murder on the Malta Express: Who killed Daphne Caruana Galizia? was named the year’s best work of non-fiction.
Academic and independent political candidate Arnold Cassola took home a prize for the year’s best general research, for his work The Joannes Gennadius Maltese Treasure Trove in Athens.
Ir-Redentur: History, Art and Cult of the Miraculous Effigy of Christ the Redeemer at Senglea won its editor, Jonathan Farrugia, a prize for the best biographical or historical research.
Lara Calleja, who published a collection of short stories titled Kissirtu Kullimkien, was named the year's best emerging author.
Publishing house Horizons won a prize for best book production, for the work The Unreality of Realism: An Insular Perspective on the Development of Modern Art.
A prize for best translation was not awarded.
This year's prize ceremony was held online and livestreamed on the internet, with the show hosted by veteran broadcaster John Demanuele.
A total of 44 titles published in 2019 were shortlisted for the awards this year. A jury made up of Carmen Depasquale, Mario Ellul and Maria Giuliana Fenech decided on winners for the categories ‘General Research’,’Biographical and historiographic research’ and ‘Literary Nonfiction', while a separate panel made up of Kevin Saliba, Josette Attard and Mark Vella picked winners in other categories.
National Book Council executive chair Mark Camilleri said that the local publishing sector had been hard hit due to events outside its control but that the industry now needed to keep strengthening and consolidating its digital transition.