Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1044434
maltatoday 11 | SUNDAY • 28 OCTOBER 2018 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT THIS is one plant whose aroma has people divided: some (like me) love it, others think it's offensive! The scent comes not from its bright yellow flowers – still in full bloom right now – but from its wavy, somewhat sticky leaves, hence its name. The sticky fleabane (M. tulliera komuni) is not a fussy plant, growing happily mostly everywhere where it can spread a root, even in tight cracks among stones and kerb pavings, building debris, etc. It brings colour and life to the dreary grey and black of brick, concrete and asphalt, and its flowers attract myriad bees and butterflies. Sadly, it too often also attracts the zealous men with their infernal weed- killer spray contraptions. If there's one simple thing we can do to start helping nature and which will not cost a cent is to stop attacking our country roadsides with machinery and chemicals, and let the flowers grow. But we won't, will we? The conviction that wildflowers are unsightly weeds is ap- parently coded into our DNA. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 535: www.foemalta.org/event/good-food-good-farming/ Text Victor Falzon Photo Desirée Falzon 533 - DAY OF ACTION 632. STICKY FLEABANE THE Malta Book Festival, the most prominent and prestig- ious book celebration of the year, will open its doors at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, on Wednes- day 7 November and will be going on until Sunday 11 No- vember. The programme of events for the 2018 Malta Book Fes- tival is packed with well over eighty events that include book launches and presenta- tions featuring local and inter- national authors, conferences, talks and fun activities for chil- dren. The highlight of this year's Malta Book Festival is the par- ticipation of world-renowned author and social activ- ist Naomi Klein, who will be interviewed by local journal- ist Matthew Vella on Friday 9 November at 8 pm and on Sat- urday 10 November she will be having a book signing session at 4.30pm. Naomi is the au- thor of international bestsell- er The Shock Doctrine about disaster capitalism, which in- creased Klein's prominence, with the New Yorker judging her 'the most visible and influ- ential figure on the American left'. Another highlight is the conference, organised but the NBC, on 'Literature in the Diaspora' (Wednesday 7 No- vember at 7 pm). Get to know how local and international writers Lou Drofenik (Malta/ Australia), Nikola Petković (Croatia), Vera Duarte (Capo Verde) and Philip Ò Ceallaigh (Ireland), who, led by journal- ist and writer Teodor Reljić (Serbia/Malta), will discuss their own unique realities of displacement, and how their own social and political con- texts shape their view of the literary diasporas. As a direct consequence of a bigger exhibition space, the Malta Book Festival is ex- pecting to double the attend- ance rate of students visiting the Festival for the morning activities compared to last year's edition, thus showing an increased popularity of the Festival with the younger au- dience – a direct result of the commitment that the National Book Council has taken to use the Malta Book Festival to promote a culture of reading and love of books among chil- dren and teenagers. At this year's Festival, there will also be readings from Czech and Slovak literature, while the 'Reading Champi- ons' ceremony will be award- ing children who have excelled in reading or inspired others to read. New to this edition of the festival is the participation of the Malta Visual and Per- forming Arts School, that will be organising a performance based on Fittixni by Antoi- nette Borg, last year's winner of the Terramaxka book prize. Another main event not to be missed are the shows Books Come to Life by DANUSAN, who will be showing the im- portance of reading in their own hilarious way. The one hour and 30 minute shows are excellent for families with children, and will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit www.showshappening.com The NBC also organised events dedicated to Victor Fenech and Daphne Caruana Galizia, and the film premiere of Camilla by Shadeena. On Friday evening the Malta Book Festival will feature the cele- bration of Maltese poet Victor Fenech's career and literary work. Victor, who has played a very important role in pro- moting Maltese literature and encouraging new authors, is the winner of last year's Na- tional Book Prize Lifetime Achievement Award. The public will be able to visit the Malta Book Festival hassle free: a shuttle will be available on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November all day to and from Publju Bus Stop, near the In- dependence Monument in Floriana, to the Mediterranean Conference Centre. This ser- vice is free of charge and will be running every hour. First trip from Floriana will be at 9.15 am on Saturday and 8.15am on Sunday. Last trip from MCC at at 10.30pm on Saturday and 9.30pm on Sunday. This year's festival will take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, starting from Wednesday 7 November until Sunday 11 November. The programme of events will be delivered in printed form to all households in Malta and Gozo in the next two weeks. FULL PROGRAMME at http://ktieb.org.mt All you need to know about the Malta Book Festival 2018