Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1487299
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 DECEMBER 2022 7 BOOKS A Book Festival to remember! A celebration of the Maltese publishing industry and the book culture in all its forms, offering extensive networking opportunities for industry pro- fessionals After an intense five days of events and book selling, Malta's foremost annual book celebra- tion came to an end. Notwith- standing the weather, many made their way to The 2022 Malta Book Festival, filling the MFCC with life. Spoilt for choice, with a record of 50 exhibitor stands and thou- sands of books to choose from, the public could be seen walking around with bags full of books, whilst peeking at the various events going on throughout the festival. The first three days saw thou- sands of children flocking to the MFCC in order to browse books and watch tailor-made ŻiguŻajg shows based on the winners of the 2022 Terramaxka Prize, as well as a meet-the-author event inspired from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, featuring live illustrations by Gattaldo as well as a special appearance by the author himself: John Boyne. Bestselling author John Boyne, one of this year's internation- al guests, also had an interview with Leanne Ellul about his lat- est novel: All the Broken Places. Award-winning illustrator Gat- taldo, who was also the mind be- hind this edition's illustrations, delivered an exclusive illustra- tion workshop for children, as well as participating in the panel discussion about visual storytell- ing 'What's an Image Worth' to- gether with Maltese-American cartoonist Joe Sacco, photojour- nalist Joanna Demarco and Teo- dor Reljić. Sacco, who is widely hailed as the creator of war re- portage comics, also gave a very intriguing interview with James Debono on the creative process behind his work. Events addressing various facets of the publishing indus- try were held, such as 'Liter- ary-Speed Dating', offering the unique opportunity to meet different stakeholders in the publishing process. In 'Confes- sions of a Literary Agent', Si- mon Trewin, a veteran who has worked with a number of best- selling authors (including John Boyne), spoke about the agent's role in the maximising of an au- thor's creative potential from a business perspective. Gutenberg Press held a fascinating seminar on 'How a Book is Made', walk- ing the listeners through the process of book manufacturing leading to the final product. Another of the crowning glo- ries of the Festival was the ex- hibition 'From Illustration to Book', curated by Dr. Nikki Petroni, held in collaboration with Arts Council Malta. The importance of illustration in the publishing industry was high- lighted, putting veteran and con- temporary illustrators under the spotlight. It also brought back fond memories of characters such as Ronnie and Fra Mudest - a comprehensive portrayal of the evolution of illustration in Malta. Whilst opening a window in- to the backstage process of the world of publishing, the Fes- tival also served as a platform for exhibitors to organise book launches, and book signings by many distinguished authors, in- cluding President George Vel- la signing books in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation. There were also discussions and book readings for the young - including sen- sory-friendly events in collabo- ration with Inspire Foundation, as well as the very first live pod- cast with Jon Mallia, who inter- viewed members of the public about their relationship with books, knowledge and culture. In line with the National Book Council's maxim to support the new generations of writers, the Festival also saw the launch of the 2022 Novels for Youth Lit- erary Contest, in collaboration with Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, and the awards ceremony of the 2022 Doreen Micallef National Poetry Contest. One cannot fail to men- tion the annual launch of Leħen il-Malti, and events such as L-Is- fida Msella, where the nurturing of a reading culture amongst the young was celebrated. Other events of note were those paying homage to key figures in the Maltese cultural scene. The short documentary film, produced by Nest Creative, celebrating the life and works of the recipient of the 2021 Life- time Achievement Award - Re- na Balzan - had its premiere at the Festival. Another event paid tribute to Mario Azzopardi: a pivotal figure in the cultural scene, who sadly passed away earlier this year. 'Demgħat tas- Silġ?' saw friends, writers and academics discussing their ex- periences with Azzopardi. The 2022 Malta Book Festival was a celebration of the Maltese publishing industry, acting as a platform for the expanding of in- dustry professionals' networks. This would not have been possi- ble without the participation of the exhibitors; NBC's partners Arts Council Malta, ŻiguŻajg, Energy & Water Agency and the Inspire Foundation, among others; all the technical staff; the MFCC and Zaffarese Ltd; and last but not least all those who attended the 2022 Malta Book Festival.