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maltatoday | SUNDAY •3 DECEMBER 2023 5 LITERATURE Winners of the 2023 National Book Prize announced THE winners of the 2023 Nation- al Book Prize were announced earlier this evening during a private ceremony held at the Magazino Hall at the Valletta Waterfront. The National Book Prize is presented annually by the National Book Council, with winning titles chosen by an in- dependent board of adjudicators in line with a rigorous selection process. IN his opening address, the Na- tional Book Council (NBC) Exec- utive Chairperson Mark Camill- eri hailed the significant legacy of the National Book Prize, now in its 46th edition and unwavering in its commitment to celebrat- ing the highest achievements in literary and research publishing in Malta. However, the ceremo- ny also came with a surprise announcement from Camilleri, who revealed that as of this year's edition, all winning publishing houses will receive a €1,000 prize. The decision to introduce this new strand to the National Book Prize stemmed from an acknowl- edgement of the challenges faced by publishers in recent years, by dint of the economic disruption caused by international upheav- als. Camilleri highlighted a surge in submissions for poetry and drama, signalling a revival in these categories. He also under- scored the strategic importance of collaborations, citing renewed partnerships and new synergies with local and international or- ganizations to boost the global presence of Maltese literature. In closing, he expressed gratitude to collaborators, authors, illustra- tors, publishers and the dedicated NBC team, reinforcing the Coun- cil's commitment to advancing Maltese literature. In a recorded address, Minis- ter for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima described the National Book Prize as a highly impor- tant event, which works towards promoting books and reading, particularly among children and youths. The Minister expressed his appreciation for all those who ensure that the book remains central to Maltese culture. The winning titles were select- ed from a shortlist of 61 titles, published in the preceding year, across fourteen competitive cat- egories: 36 books in the eight categories for adults and 26 in the six for children and young adults (Premju Terramaxka). In their comments, adjudicators ex- pressed a particular enthusiasm for the submissions in the Poetry category, noting that a healthy selection of high-quality work from both established and up- and-coming poets made it to the shortlist. This year's General Re- search shortlist was also deemed to be exceptional, with adjudi- cators stating the certain entries could easily transcend their spe- cialised niches to appeal to a wid- er reading public. Two special prizes were also be- stowed during the ceremony. The prestigious Lifetime Achieve- ment Award was conferred to Daniel Massa for his seminal con- tributions to Maltese poetry, who could not be present for the cere- mony due to illness but who sent in a recorded message. Thanking the National Book Council for honouring his sixty-year career trajectory in prose and poetry, Massa urged young poets to look to both local and international luminaries of the craft for inspira- tion — among them Dun Karm, Dylan Thomas and TS Eliot — and to bear in mind that the road to poetic greatness is long and re- warding. "Search for beauty, but do not shy away from ugliness," Massa said. The award for Best Emergent Author was given to Lon Kirkop, who also emerged victorious in the Drama category with his col- lection of short plays, Fil-Ħajja li Jmiss u Drammi Oħra tat-Triq (Merlin Publishers). Kirkop said that receiving this award fills him with added confidence to contin- ue sharing his writers with readers as an emerging writer. "Especially when you're just starting out, like I am currently, acknowledgments like these provide reassurance that what you're doing is mean- ingful," he said. The National Book Council would like to thank the members of the adjudication board of the 2023 National Book Prize and Terramaxka: Omar Seguna, Rob- ert Pisani, Simone Spiteri, Rachel Baldacchino, Liam Gauci, Joseph M Brincat, Sandra Hili Vassal- lo, Kristy Borg and Charmaine Bonello. Special thanks go to Margaret Callus from Malta Libraries for the classification of the submitted books in their respective category. National Book Prize for Adults NOVELS LORANNE VELLA – Marta Marta SHORT-STORIES RITA SALIBA – Tbajja' tax- Xemx u Stejjer Oħra għad-Dell POETRY MURAD SHUBERT – Im- bagħad il-Qiegħ DRAMA LON KIRKOP – Fil-Ħajja li Jmiss u Drammi Oħra tat-Triq TRANSLATIONS MARK VELLA – Mur Ġibek… Eżerċizzji ta' Tortura u Seduzzjo- ni GENERAL RESEARCH CHRISTIAN ATTARD – The Art of Dying Well: Visual Cul- tures in Times of Piety and Plague Malta 1675-1814 BIOGRAPHICAL AND HIS- TORIOGRAPHIC RESEARCH WILLIAM ZAMMIT – Slavery, Treason and Blood: The 1749 Plot of the Slaves in Malta BEST BOOK PRODUCTION FONDAZZJONI PATRIMON- JU MALTI – Society Fashion in Malta: The Portrait Photography of Leandro Preziosi 1830-1869 BEST EMERGENT AUTHOR LON KIRKOP LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD DANIEL MASSA Terramaxka Prize for Children and Young Adults ORIGINAL WORKS FOR CHILDREN AGES 0-7 MARIA FARRUGIA, LOU- ISELLE SCIBERRAS (ILL.) – Luċjan u Enzo: is-sriedak li kienu jgħiru għal xulxin ORIGINAL WORKS FOR CHILDREN AGES 8-12 JOHN A. BONELLO, FRANC- ESCA GRECH (ILL.) – Irvin Vel- la, Investigatur Virtwali: Il-Każ tal-Ħabsi Bla Ħtija \ YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE DAVID ALOISIO – Ġganti TRANSLATION FOR CHIL- DREN AGES 0-7 JANET MALLIA – Kieku Ar- madillo Jmur f'Ristorant TRANSLATION FOR CHIL- DREN AGES 8-12 NOEL TANTI – Każ Miftuħ: Segwi l-Indizji! YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION DWAYNE ELLUL – Sherlock, Lupin u Jien: Il-Katidral tal-Biża' BEST BOOK PRODUCTION BDL PUBLISHING – Luċjan u Enzo: is-sriedak li kienu jgħiru għal xulxin