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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 SEPTEMBER 2023 5 BOOKS This article is supported by Arts Council Malta The 2023 Malta Book Festival programme of events is out THE National Book Council re- leased the programme of events and the promotional video for the 2023 Malta Book Festival during a press conference held at the Na- tional Library of Malta in Valletta. The Minister for Education Hon. Clifton Grima and the NBC Exec- utive Chairperson, Mark Camill- eri, addressed the audience. Going #beyondbooks The programme of events of the 2023 MBF includes about 100 events over five days between Wednesday 18 and Sunday 22 Oc- tober. The events - free of charge and held in designated halls at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Cen- tre (MFCC), Ta' Qali - range from shows and activities for the fami- ly and students, to book launches and discussions, writing work- shops, performative readings, and professional meet-ups between the public and book industry stakeholders. This year's edition of the festival carries the theme #beyondbooks, highlighting the medium's potential to transcend the written word and manifest itself in various media – from il- lustration to audio, theatre to film adaptation. A quick glance at the programme reveals this philoso- phy in action: boasting some 50 exhibitors and a series of events featuring high-profile local and international guests, the Festival continues to serve its mission as the most prominent book event of the Maltese islands. Nurturing local talent through international collaboration Every year, the NBC invites a host of international guests who transport the local reading com- munity beyond Malta's borders. With the aim of nurturing Mal- tese talent and widening its pos- sibilities, this year the MBF will offer opportunities for writers, ed- itors, translators, illustrators and publishers to attend workshops and discussions on writing held by our esteemed guests throughout the Festival. The NBC is proud- ly welcoming bestselling author Sam Blake, three-time shortlistee for Irish Novel of the Year. Her publications include her seventh bestseller The Mystery of Four (Corvus, 2023), and her YA debut Something Terrible Happened Last Night (Gill Books, 2023). The NBC will also be hosting writer and children's books edi- tor Charlie Castelletti. He is the author of The Manor House Gov- erness (Alcove Press, 2023) un- der the pseudonym C.A. Castle, a picture book author for young children, and a poetry anthologist with Macmillan. Literary agent and publishing consultant Simon Trewin, agent of bestselling authors such as Sam Blake and John Boyne, as well as Praspar Press editors Jen Calleja and Kat Storace, publishers of the annual Maltese-writing-in-Eng- lish anthology Scintillas: New Maltese Writing, are joining the 2023 MBF guest list to share their expertise with the Maltese audi- ence. Local author Clare Azzopar- di is also accompanying our inter- national invitees to take part in an event related to her novel Castillo (Merlin Publishers, 2018) and its upcoming film adaptation. In his speech, Mr Camilleri ob- served that in line with the Festi- val's theme, this year the NBC is collaborating with various entities to draw up a cultural programme that truly offers an experience of storytelling #beyondbooks. The collaborations mentioned include: the From Illustration to Book ex- hibition curated with Arts Coun- cil Malta; the sensory-friendly room for children on the autism spectrum with Inspire Founda- tion; the concert VII/Fidwa with Teatru Malta and The New Vic- torians; the exhibition Il-Malti: Il-Mixja sal-Għarfien Uffiċjali with Heritage Malta and L-Ak- kademja tal-Malti; theatre shows for children based on Terramaxka Prize-winning books with play- wright Simone Spiteri; an inter- active mural with the Malta Com- munity of Illustrators and Arts Council Malta; a book-to-screen discussion with the Malta Film Commission; and reading sessions for children with the Energy and Water Agency. Mr Camilleri added that this year's international guests will be offering the local literary commu- nity various writing and editing workshops as well as sharing their knowledge of the foreign market. Collaborations with internation- al entities such as the Common- wealth Foundation and the Na- tional Book Council of Gibraltar were also announced. Curating a rich experience for all readers Additionally, many of the exhib- itors will be organising their own events, catering to a rich variety of audiences and literary nich- es, which would be taking place both at individual stands and the themed halls reflecting this year's theme: Is-Sala tal-Qarrejja, Is-Sala tal-Kittieba, Is-Sala fil-Pjazza and It-Teatru. During the press conference, Hon. Grima thanked the National Book Council for its work in the crucial field of literature, which in- cludes efforts to promote a culture of reading. "Despite the world being in- creasingly dominated by digital media, we should never dismiss the wealth of information that a book can hold. Reading is one of the key pillars of education, and it is our responsibility to foster the habit of reading from an early age. It is for this reason that I encour- age students to participate in the various activities organised in our schools," Hon. Grima said. The 2023 Malta Book Festival will be held between 18 and 22 October at the MFCC. Ta' Qali. Please follow the NBC website, and the NBC Facebook page and Malta Book Festival 2023 Facebook page.