Another edition of the National Book Festival began on Wednesday at the MFCC in Ta' Qali; it will remain open until Sunday, 22nd October.
The National Book Festival is Malta's most popular event related to books and aims to provide a multisensory experience that goes beyond just the written world. This festival shall also dive into the world of illustrations, music, theatre, film, and more, a government statement read. Therefore, this year's edition carries the theme #beyondbooks.
During this festival's opening, Education Minister Clifton Grima elaborated onto this year's theme, saying that "the world of books nowadays no longer just refers to the written one, but through the advancement of technology, reading has taken other forms through digital means".
Minister Grima emphasised the importance of reading as one of the foundations of education, explaining that the educational sector is to encourage reading from an early age.
"Literacy is a main pillar of education and that is why it is being given importance in the National Strategy for Education which will be launched for public consultation soon", Minister Grima said.
Around 50 exhibitors will be present in the festival alongside a varied programme of activities ranging from workshops to theatrical shows to masterclasses presented by international guests, such as best-selling detective writer Sam Blake. Blake is scheduled to meet post-secondary students to talk to them about the writing process and finding inspiration. Thousands of students are set to attend this year's festival. A concert will also be held through a collaboration between the National Book Council and Teatru Malta in which the musical duo The New Victorians will be performing, the government said.
Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli praised the initiative put forward by the National Book Council to introduce a sensory room at this year's festival. She emphasized how reading, fairs, and other similar activities should be made accessible for everyone in every way - both physically and sensorially. "In this way we ensure that, as stated in the Convention and the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, culture, art and recreation, in all their forms, will really be inclusive to everyone", she said.
This festival shall give special importance to the Maltese language through the Heritage Malta exhibition "Il-Malti: Il-Mixja sal-Għarfien Uffiċjali" ("Maltese: The Path to Official Recognition"). This exhibition will follow the history of the Maltese language through the aid of documents and books.
The aspect of sustainability will also be promoted to children and students in attendance thanks to educational activities hosted by the Energy and Water Agency. They will offer educational activities and scientific experiments relating to the topics of supply, sustainability, access and dependence on water and energy sources, the government said.
This Wednesday and Thursday, doors open from 09:00-13:00 and again between 17:00-21:00. On Friday, the same hours apply for the morning session while the evening session will remain open for an extra hour, closing at 22:00. The National Book Festival will be open all day long on both weekend days; from 09:30-22:00 on Saturday and between 09:30-20:00 on Sunday.
The entire programme of activities for this year's National Book Festival can be found through the following link online: https://ktieb.org.mt/il-festival-nazzjonali-tal-ktieb-2023/.