Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1419860
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 OCTOBER 2021 7 BOOKS THE 2021 Malta Book Festi- val - The Bookshop is set to re- turn in a few weeks' time with an in-person festival hosted at the the Malta Fairs and Con- ventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta' Qali. The guidelines and regu- lations issued by national health authorities will be followed to the letter to ensure the best ex- perience possible for all those visiting. With a wide range of partic- ipants from all sectors of the book industry and a cultural programme suited to every- one's interests, the Malta Book Festival is the biggest celebra- tion of book culture in Malta. The Events Programme for this year's edition includes more than 70 events spread across the five days of the Festival and organised by the National Book Council in collaboration with 40 participating exhibitors. The Bookshop - do I need to book? The Festival will be taking place across two distinct areas each dedicated to their particu- lar function - the central Book- shop area, and peripheral halls which will be hosting a range of events according to the Events Programme. The Bookshop area gathers all the exhibitors participat- ing in the Festival under one roof (publishers, booksellers, self-published authors, NGOs and other entities). Visitors at the Malta Book Festival book- shop at the MFCC will be able to browse through thousands of titles, including all of the latest local and foreign publi- cations. Visitors to the Bookshop area will be subject to a temperature check at the door and must wear a face mask at all times. The presentation of a valid vac- cination certificate or of a neg- ative PCR test is not required. No pre-registration is required to visit the Bookshop area. No events will be held at the exhib- itor stands. Event halls - is pre-registration required? Events will only take place in four dedicated halls, each with their own separate entranc- es and exits, hosting readings, discussions and performances. Since pre- registration to all events is a compulsory pre- requisite this year, consult the online Events Programme for information about the registra- tion process for each event. Admittance to all Festival events, except those for chil- dren, shall be exclusively upon presentation of a valid vaccina- tion certificate. Children's activities - will there be morning visits for students and family shows in the evening? In addition to the various activities for children being organised by the exhibitors, including animated readings, puppet shows and performanc- es, the National Book Council has curated a programme tailor made for students and families visiting the Festival. On weekday mornings, school children opting for the online programme will have access to the new interactive quiz video 'Books are Where the Magic Happens', populated with sto- ries, authors and characters from celebrated works of chil- dren's literature. Students vis- iting the MFCC will have the opportunity to visit the Book- shop area and make use of their vouchers. How do I book for the shows? On every afternoon for the duration of the Festival, Danu- san return with their live show for the whole family, 'Il-Kotba Jieħdu l-Ħajja' (Books come to life). The show will run at the MFCC at 6:30 pm on Wednes- day, Thursday and Friday, and with two longer performances on the Saturday and Sunday at 4:30 pm. Places can be booked on showshappening.com. For these theatrical performanc- es, as well as other children's events and performances in the event programme, registra- tion is mandatory but the pres- entation of a valid vaccination certificate is not required for the children or accompanying adults. Educators can chose to regis- ter their students for an in-per- son visit to the MFCC or to fol- low the online programme. Who can redeem the €5 book voucher? Each registered student (whether visiting in person or online) will be receiving a €5 voucher which can be re- deemed from the Bookshop area during all hours of the Festival, or from exhibitors' online stores. For all students, the vouchers are also redeem- able online. As of this year, post-secondary students in Malta and Gozo are also eligi- ble to receive a book voucher on the occasion of the Festival. Register for your events by clicking here and check in each event description for all details. For more information visit the Malta Book Festival 2021 - The BookSHop edition Facebook page and the NBC website. The Malta Book Festival - The Book Shop runs be- tween 3-7 November at the following opening hours: on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9am-1pm and 5:30pm-9:30pm; on Saturday from 9:30am-10:30pm, and on Sunday from 8:30am-8pm. The Malta Book Festival 2021 Bookshop Edition: Pre-registrations and venues 3–7 November Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) ktieb.org.mt Malta Book Festival 2021