Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1163844
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 SEPTEMBER 2019 17 CULTURE BOOKS THE National Book Council is pleased to present Judge Rosemarie Aquilina as the main guest of the 2019 Malta Book Festival. Aquilina, daughter of a Maltese father and German mother, both emigrants, is most notable for pre- siding over the 2018 USA Gymnas- tics sex abuse scandal, which found former Olympic doctor Larry Nas- sar guilty of sexually abusing 156 girls and women over the previous two decades. Much made headlines about the way she guided the court hearings and her strong language directed to the accused. Significantly, she allowed 140 victims tell their story in front of the aggressor. Outside of her usual working schedule, Judge Aquilina is very vociferous and active in issues re- garding sexual abuse and the dig- nity of human beings. Among other things, she was in- strumental in amending a statute so as to make things harder for child abusers in the future. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is also a writer, and has two crime novels to her name: Feel No Evil (2003, Porch Swing Press) and Triple Cross Killer (2017, Fiery Seas Pub- lishing). The public attending the Malta Book Festival will have the oppor- tunity to meet this year's special guest during activities dedicated to her both as a writer and as strong supporter of human rights. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is the special guest of the 2019 Malta Book Festival THE comic duo Danusan will partner with the National Book Council again this year and will present the 2019 edition of their show 'Il-Kotba jieħdu l-ħajja' (Books come to life), based on the winners of the 2019 Terramaxka Book Prize (which will be an- nounced during the opening cer- emony on 5 November). 'Il-Kotba jieħdu l-ħajja' will be held at Republic Hall, MCC. The tickets for the three shows (Friday 8 November at 8pm, Sat- urday 9 November at 7pm and Sunday 10 November at 3pm) are now available for sale on the MCC's website and showshap- pening.com. The starting price is 5€. With the purchase of a ticket for the Danusan show and upon presentation of the ticket during the show, you can get a 3€ book voucher to be spent at any outlet exhibiting at the Malta Book Fes- tival 2019. Wednesday 6 November: 09:00 – 13:00, 17:30 – 21:30 Thursday 7 November: 09:00 – 13:00, 17:30 – 21:30 Friday 8 November: 09:00 – 13:00, 17:30 – 22:00 Saturday 9 November: 09:30 – 22:30 Sunday 10 November: 08:30 – 20:00 Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC), Triq l-Isptar, Valletta, VLT 1645 Visit the Malta Book Festival 2018 has- sle free next November: free shuttle ser- vice every thirty minutes to and from Bay A, Bus Terminus, Valletta - sponsored by MaltaPublic Transport Opening times of the Malta Book Festival 2019 'Il-Kotba jiehdu l-hajja' Danusan's show based on 2019 Terramaxka Book Prize winners