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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 OCTOBER 2023 4 BOOK FESTIVAL All you need to know about the 2023 Malta Book Festival THE Malta Book Festival, the largest cultural event dedicated to books and reading in Malta, will be taking place between 18 and 22 October at the MFCC, Ta' Qali. Boasting a jam-packed programme featuring a variety of local and international par- ticipants, this year's edition of the festival carries the theme #beyondbooks, highlighting lit- erature's ability to transcend the written word. This year's festival will be di- vided across several thematic areas, each drawing inspiration from our quirky quartet of mas- cots: Ray il-Qarrej, an imagi- native fisherman whose nose is always stuck in a book (Is-Sala tal-Qarrejja, sponsored but the Energy and Water `Agency); the enigmatic writer Filip il-Kittieb, whose passion lies in the per- formed word (Is-Sala tal-Kittie- ba); Ċiċi l-Ispettatriċi, the curi- ous cat who purrs at the sight of a literary show (Is-Sala fil-Pjaz- za); and Mia s-Semmiegħa, the music enthusiast who jams to aural stories (It-Teatru). Jacob's Brew will be serving cof- fee and hot drinks at their pop- up truck situated right on Ċiċi's turf, at the venue's common ar- ea. The National Book Council is proud to collaborate with this entity, whose philanthropic 'pay it forward' spirit spreads just the kind of positive message that the festival is eager to foster. Events programme This year's edition of the festi- val carries the theme #beyond- books, highlighting the book's potential to transcend the writ- ten word and manifest itself in various media – from illustra- tion to audio, theatre to film adaptation. The programme of events boasts around 100 events spread out over five days – free of charge and held in designated halls – that range from shows and activities for the family and students, to book launches and discussions, writing workshops, performative readings, and pro- fessional meet-ups between the public and book industry stake- holders. Click here for a full programme of events. Exhibitors The exhibitors remain the life- blood of the Malta Book Festival, and there's some 50 of them this year! From established publish- ers to exciting newcomers, along with other entities keen to tap in- to the vibrant energy of the Fes- tival atmosphere and its varied clientele, our exhibitors fill the halls with great reading material while hosting book signings and other activities. Find the full list of exhibitors here, and make a note to say hello to your favour- ites during the festival! Children and families pro- gramme The Malta Book Festival always offered an excellent opportuni- ty for the National Book Coun- cil to make good on its educa- tional mission, and this year is no exception. The Festival will welcome school visits during weekday mornings, with young pupils being privy to live shows and book-browsing sessions, as they will also benefit from a €5 discount voucher for book purchases. The National Book Council is proud to collaborate with award-winning playwright Simone Spiteri with age-appro- priate theatre shows inspired by a selection of Terramaxka Prize-winning works, featuring a surprise appearance by a popular author. Crucially, Il-Kamra Sensorja is another important way that the festival ensures an inclusive approach. This autism-friendly space, calibrated for low stim- ulation and coming with some basic sensory items and au- tism-friendly resources, allows children on the spectrum to have access to storytelling activ- ities in a safe and inclusive en- vironment. Access is allowed to children accompanied by their parents/educators. Il-Kamra Sensorja is managed by Inspire Foundation in collaboration with APS Bank. The Energy and Water Agency, another regular partner organi- sation, will also be delivering val- uable awareness-raising sessions for young listeners, fostering an appreciation for water conserva- tion and other important issues. International guests, work- shops and masterclasses Apart from offering a joyful and varied celebration of the book in all of its forms, The Malta Book Festival also aims to serve as an exciting fixture in the local cul- tural calendar, thanks in large part to the international guests that grace its programme. This year, the Malta Book Festival will be welcoming best-selling Irish crime writer Sam Blake, as well as her agent Simon Trew- in — the latter of whom will be on his second visit to the Festi- val. Blake and Trewin will not merely be greeting readers and fans, they will actively be help- ing out aspiring authors to both improve their craft and navigate the publishing industry, through free-of-charge workshop and masterclass sessions. UK chil- dren's books editor and debuting novelist Charlie Castelletti — who boasts Maltese heritage — will also be delivering a master- class on writing for children and young readers, while the found- ing members of Praspar Press, which is focused on publishing contemporary Maltese writing in English, will deliver a session on editing. And bring the pro- cess full circle will 'How a Book is Made' — an informative semi- nar on the complete life-cycle of book production, delivered by Gutenberg Press. Taken together, these events chart the book's journey from conception to publication, while offering insights which help build bridges Showstoppers taking you #be- yondbooks No festival would be complete without crowd-pulling events, and a collaboration between Teatru Malta and the National Book Council will be delivering on that front. 'VII/Fidwa' — a musical-theatre medley perfor- mance led by rising-star duo The New Victorians, cherry-picks songs from two beloved sold-out shows from the TM repertoire, each of which centre around key moments in Maltese histo- ry where the common populace rose up against oppressive forc- es. The show is the Festival's on- ly ticketed event, and those in- terested are encouraged to book their tickets now. While VII/Fid- wa certainly takes us #beyond- books in a very powerful way, a roundtable discussion chaired by podcast superstar Jon Mallia — taking place on 21 October — will attempt to chart the course of the Maltese literary scene through a conversation with an eclectic group of writers: Tre- vor Żahra, Loranne Vella, Aleks Farrugia, Nadia Vella and Lon Kirkop. Meanwhile, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura will be draw- ing from the celebrated works of Italo Calvino for 'What is a Gap?', a playful performance by Ateliersi which hinges on word- play and audience interaction. The exhibitions The visual component of lit- erature and the written word will very much be coming alive during the Festival. The NBC is proud to host Il-Malti: Il-Mixja Sal-Għarfien Uffiċjali, organised by Heritage Malta and L-Akka- demja Tal-Malti, and illustrating the history of the Maltese lan- guage — from its Semitic roots up to its current status as an of- ficial EU language — through a fascinating collection of books and documents, contextualised through carefully crafted infor- mational material. Held for the second year run- ning and in collaboration with Arts Council Malta, the From Il- lustration to Book exhibition — encompassing a variety of eras and styles and allowing visitors to witness the evolution of Mal- tese book illustration first-hand. Meanwhile, the Interactive Mu- ral — another collaboration with the Arts Council, together with the Malta Community of Illus- trators — will invite four artists to participate in the creation of a mural, through live drawing ses- sions led by Matthew Demarco of Bloom Creative/Maltatype. Opening hours The Malta Book Festival runs between 18-22 October at the following opening hours: on Wednesday and Thursday from 9am-1pm and 5:00pm-9pm; on Friday from 9am-1pm and 5:00pm-10pm; on Saturday from 9:30am-10pm, and on Sunday from 9:30am-8pm. The full programme of events for the 2023 Malta Book Festi- val is available online here. For the latest updates, please follow the NBC website, and the NBC Facebook page and Malta Book Festival 2023 Facebook page.