Marie Benoît interviews the public relations officer of the National Book Council SERGIO GRECH about the NBC’s latest initiative, a summer reading campaign.

Sergio Grech whom we associate inexorably with Poezijaplus is nothing if not enthusiastic about what he does. As a member of the NBC’s board he would like to see everyone enjoying a good read this summer.

Two of the NBC’s terms of reference is to organise activities “in order to create a vivid awareness about the value of books and readership” and “to work hand in hand with local councils to popularise readership in every form or aspect being that traditional or electronic”. Does he have any statistics regarding books and reading in Malta and Gozo?

He tells me that statistics provided by the National Statistics Office and published in this year’s The Times show that consumers spent an average of Lm21.5 million a year on printed material between 2004 and last year. “The figure includes books, newspapers, periodicals and miscellaneous printed matter and represents about 1.5 per cent of private consumption expenditure,” he explains. “Over the past three years, the country imported an annual average of Lm7 million worth of books, journals, newspapers, magazines and other print material. In the same period, exports in this category have averaged Lm3 million per year, the bulk comprising books, leaflets and brochures.” He then goes on to speak of book loans from branch public libraries. “These,” says Sergio, “have seen a rising trend over the past six years, the NSO figures show, although the number of new members in public libraries has seen a steady decline over the same period.”

He quotes from The Times and says that the increase in book loans may reflect an impetus provided by the arrangement whereby local councils have taken over the administrative responsibility for branch libraries. “Most new members of public libraries last year hailed from the Northern Harbour district, which includes Birkirkara and Qormi. Maybe, it is time that the NBC conducts its own research in this regard too.”

What about this new campaign for the summer months? “The scope of the campaign is to fuel our reading habits. It will be conducted through e-mails and the NBC is encouraging those who receive the email to forward it to their family, friends, colleagues and so on. If we manage to get help from the industry we will display these posters on big billboards.

“The NBC intends to publish a poster every fortnight keeping the same simple but effective maxim: ‘Take a book with you to the beach’. The posters, by the way, were designed by Dr Gorg Mallia. After all books can so easily be carried in a beach bag. Let me just add that we are indebted to the media for helping us to promote this campaign.”

Is the campaign aimed at simply everyone or just at the young, since that is where it all begins. “It is aimed at everyone and we hope that parents will do their utmost to encourage their children to read,” he replies.

Merlin are also doing a campaign to encourage the young to read. Is the NBC teaming up with them in any way? Sergio replies that the NBC had endorsed Merlin’s initiative with a press release. “The NBC will back any valid proposal which can improve the local book scenario. As you know people need attractive books in libraries to read.”

But are you backing this campaign in any way by putting more and more attractive new books in libraries? “Just a few weeks ago the NBC donated to the Department of Libraries circa one thousand books. The NBC is not bound to do this. But recently it reformed the National Book Prize and it is binding itself to purchase a certain number of books of those authors that had been placed in the first five places in each category.”

What other initiatives can we expect from the NBC? Sergio further explains that the NBC from time to time publishes an electronic circular letter in which one can get updated information about its activities. In the coming months, it will have its own website. Sergio continues: “Our website will be a one stop shop for Maltese books. We intend to have a database of Maltese books in print. As you can imagine the project is highly ambitious but once accomplished it will be of a great service to the nation.”

Twice a month the NBC is publishing Nibxa Poetika. “The idea is to send those on our address book a short poem by e-email. We are currently studying what opportunities there are within the EU to improve the book scene on these islands. The final aim is to have some valid translations of our major literary works. We still linger behind other European nations in this aspect.”

Does The National Book Council offer subsidies for the publication of books? He answers: “Directly no, but participants in The National Book Prize competition, selected according to strict criteria published by the National Book Council, can be compensated with subsidies that take the form of a book purchase, whereby a number of copies of the books finishing in the first five places in each category are bought by the Council and donated to the Libraries Department for use in the national, public, regional and branch libraries. As I have told you, we recently made a substantial donation of this nature. Moreover, participants who are self-publishers can also automatically benefit from such a subsidy.”

How is The National Book Council committed to upgrade the publication of Maltese books? “We’re currently working on a Publications Manual, incorporating a Quality Charter, for the Maltese Book through one of NBC’s committees set up earlier during its previous term of office in 2006. The committee held a series of meetings to formulate a set of guidelines that could assist the publisher and author of a book to present it in a more professional manner as regards the prelims, content, presentation and bibliographical footnotes. A guidance manual will soon be issued and this will serve the purpose of helping to standardise the production of books.”

Does The National Book Council intend to publish a magazine about books? “Yes, we have plans for such a publication in the pipeline. We also have plans to hold regular exhibitions in conjunction with the Department of Libraries on Maltese authors, inviting the author himself to sign books and create awareness of the Maltese book.”

In the meantime, grab a book before you go to the beach and have a good read.

For further information regarding the National Book Council you may contact Sergio Grech on [email protected]