Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/513060
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 MAY 2015 38 This Week MINISTER for Education Evar- ist Bartolo, Permanent Secretary Joseph Caruana and Executive Chairman of the National Book Council Mark Camilleri, an- nounced earlier this week the launch of the Malta Book Fund during a press conference at the Ministry for Education, an initia- tive they described as aiming to "foster cultural growth in the lo- cal book market". Following a consultation proc- ess with authors and publishers, and after having studied the lo- cal book market in detail, the National Book Council noted a particular issue which they felt deserved attention. "We have come to realise that there are many authors and pub- lishers who have planned very interesting Melitensia publica- tions of significant cultural, ed- ucational and intellectual value, however, said projects may not necessarily be easily profitable due to their very specialised na- ture, or are rather difficult to publish and distribute due to shortcomings within the infra- structure of the market itself," the Council said. Furthermore, the NBC, in its drive to contribute to the de- velopment of the Maltese book, would also like to support au- thors and publishers by financ- ing projects to further enhance their skills and capabilities by providing them with grants to attend workshops, courses and cultural initiatives which might help further improve his or her skills and capabilities. For these reasons, the National Book Council is issuing a mini- mum of eight grants totaling €40,000 – with €32,000 reserved for publication grants, and €8,000 to be distributed between education and foreign market- ing funds. The grants are to be distributed following a rigorous application process vetted by an appointed adjudication board. The NBC said that while small amounts of funding can make a great difference to publishing projects in our small yet thriv- ing book market, especially to projects in Maltese and/or of lo- cal and cultural significance, the Council will strive to ensure that financial allocations are made to those applicants who would make the best use of their funds. The application deadline for the 2 015 edition of the Fund is June 30 at 12:00. Application Forms and Criteria may be down- loaded from the NBC website: www.ktieb.org.mt Malta Book Fund to foster cultural growth in the local book market People in mainland Europe who live by a lake or a river will more than likely have grey herons for neighbours. They are big lanky bird that likes nothing better than to hunch for hours at the edge of their favourite patch of water, watching for potential snacks in the form of a frog, fish, prawn or newt – indeed anything small-to-medium size with a pulse - sometimes they raid garden ponds for that juicy koi or goldfish. They are generally tolerated, because many people have long accepted that humans need to share the planet with other animals. It's a concept that still eludes many people on this Rock, although the tide is slowly, but inexorably, changing here as well. Malta however is too small, dry and noisy for grey herons (M: russett griz) to actually live here, but we still get to see these broad-winged, slow-flying birds as they migrate across the Mediterranean. A good place to spot a grey heron is Is-Simar nature reserve in Xemxija Bay, where the mosaic of reedbed and lake is ideal for tired birds to stop and rest on their arduous journey north to breed. Entrance is free, open Sundays till the end of May. 454. GREY HERON GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 357: WATCH THE VIDEO – Genetically modified popcorn: served to you by TTIP - http://www.foemalta.org/links/popcorn Where they are grown, genetically modified (GM) crops are linked to massive increases in herbicide use, the extension of mono-cultural farming practices, and increased costs all along the food production chain. The resulting social, environmental and economic impacts are severe. European citizens – who have repeatedly voiced their objections to GM food – are currently protected, especially from imported foods or farmers' seeds that may be contaminated from GM crops that have not been approved for use in the EU. This is called the EU's 'zero tolerance' law. But in the US, genetically modified maize, soy and rapeseed are widely grown. US negotiators and industry lobbyists have been pushing for weaker rules on GM imports in the US-EU trade talks, arguing that the 'zero tolerance' rule is a barrier to trade, and damages business for US exporters. As a result, TTIP could, as with a similar new trade deal with Canada, allow low levels of GM foods and seeds to be imported into Europe that have not been authorised for sale in Europe or tested for their safety for humans and the environment. This would mean farmers and citizens would not know if the food or seeds they were buying contained GM ingredients – and Europeans could be eating unauthorised GM ingredients which have not been through any form of safety check. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate Text and photo Victor Falzon Served by TTIP – Genetically Modified Popcorn Education Minister Evarist Bartolo (centre) launching the Malta Book Fund with (left) Mark Camilleri, executive chairman of the National Book Council and ministry Permanent Secretary Joseph Caruana