MEIA Welcomes New Literature Committee Members
The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) is delighted to announce the establishment of its new Literature Committee, a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to nurturing and promoting the literary arts in Malta.
Francesco Grech has been appointed Chair of this committee and together with co-chair Chris Gruppetta, this dedicated committee has been formed with a clear mission: to support, advocate for, and celebrate Malta’s rich and diverse literary community. Authors Rita Saliba, Matthew Schembri and Clare Azzopardi, together with publisher Joseph Mizzi complete this committee. By bringing together these passionate individuals with their extensive expertise, deep knowledge, and unwavering dedication to the literary world, MEIA aims to create a dynamic platform that champions the written word in all its forms.These unique perspectives and set of skills that will contribute to the committee’s collective goal of fostering a thriving literary culture in Malta.
Looking ahead, this committee will focus on addressing pressing challenges faced by authors, poets, publishers, and other stakeholders in the local literary ecosystem. By identifying and tackling key issues, the committee aspires to remove barriers and provide meaningful support to those shaping Malta’s literary landscape. Furthermore, it will work to create and expand opportunities for both emerging and established literary talents, ensuring their voices are heard and celebrated.
In the coming months, the committee will spearhead initiatives, events, and programmes aimed at encouraging creativity, fostering collaboration, and enhancing the visibility of Malta’s literary heritage both locally and internationally.
Francesco Grech
Chair of MEIA Literature Advisory Committee
Francesco Grech was born in Victoria Gozo and after finishing his studies at the University of Malta and Rome he graduated with two Masters in Literature and Arts and Culture Management. Author and composer, his works toured around various theatres in Gozo, Malta and Italy. His musical compositions include: Dun Ġorġ: The Musical (2013), Dar ir-Rummien (2015), Limbo (2016) and Dear Pete (2017). In 2022 he wrote the book Kollox Jeħel Magħna published by Merlin Publishers which became a Bestseller. Recently he worked with international artist Cristobal Gabarron on a new work inspired and executed at the Ggantija Temples UNESCO World Heritage site in Gozo. In 2023 he was chosen by the Salzburg Global Seminar and Arts Council Malta to participate in the international seminar On the Front Line: Artists at Risk, Artists Who Risk in Austria.
Professionally he served also as the Cultural Manager for the Gozo Regional Council in Malta where he kick-started Gozo’s first Literature Festival with Inizjamed and also applied for Gozo to become the European Region of Gastronomy 2026. Currently he works at Bank of Valletta on the CSR Programme related to social responsibility, arts and culture and the environment.
Chris Gruppetta
Co-Chair of MEIA Literature Advisory Committee
Chris Gruppetta has for the past couple of decades been the publisher and editor at Merlin Publishers. He studied law at the University of Malta, followed by a Masters in Publishing Studies in Aberdeen where he researched the science of children’s book cover design. His career at Merlin has been marked by efforts to professionalise the industry with focus on content, editorial and design aspects of the book, and a fresh approach to book marketing. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta on literary editing and on the history of children’s literature.
Rita Saliba
Rita Saliba writes for children, adolescents, and adults. She won the National Writing Contest for Youth and Adolescents three times with her novels Inżul ix-Xemx (2011), Bella Berger (2013), and Il-Kulur tal-Lellux in the competition launched in 2015. In 2014, she translated two novels for adolescents from Italian: Il-Misteru tad-Dniefel tal-Ġebel (The Mystery of the Stone Dolphins) and Il-Misteru tal-Labirint (The Mystery of the Labyrinth). Her writings for adults have appeared alongside other authors in publications such as Kieku l-Ikel Jitkellem (2009), Skariġġi (2012), and Għidli Mitejn (2014).
Saliba published her collections of short stories: Satin (2014), Damask (2017), Ħjut (2018), Minn Taħt l-Ilsien (2021), and Ma’ Kull Riħ(2024). Her poems have also been published in anthologies alongside those of various poets. Her first novel for adults is O.B.E.(2019). Minn Wara l-Ħġieġ (2022) is a collection of the author’s poetry. She also released three collections of micro-stories: Fuq Widnejn Torox u Stejjer Żbukkati oħra (2018), MittKelma (2020), and Tbajja’ tax-Xemx u Stejjer Oħra għad-Dell (2022), which won the National Book Prize. Among Saliba’s publications are three adaptations of classic novels for early secondary school children.
Rita Saliba is also passionate about design and painting, which she feels complement her love for writing.
Matthew Schembri
Matthew Schembri is an artist, writer, and poet based in Malta. Schembri won Divergent Thinkers 04 (2015), Shifting Contexts (2019) and was named Young Artist of the Year in 2017 by Arts Council Malta. His debut novel, Stessi (2018), won The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth 2016, and his debut poetry collection, Ħassartek (2021), won him the Best Emerging Author award given by the National Book Council Malta in 2022.
Joseph Mizzi
Born in Rabat, Gozo, in 1964 and graduated from the University of Malta in Business Management in 1987. Attended successfully a diploma course in journalism at the University of Malta in 1983 coordinated by Prof. Dominic Fenech. Completed a course in graphic design at the Malta School of Art between 1981 and 1983.
Currently runs Midsea Books and Klabb Kotba Maltin, Malta’s leading publishers with over 50 years of book publishing experience. Joseph has been designing and producing books since 1985 having personally been responsible for over 500 books.
Between 1988 and 1990 co-ordinated the publications section of the Department of Information and was responsible for all the publications produced for the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of Malta’s Independence (1989) and for the Bush-Gorbachev Summit meeting in Malta (1989).
Between 2010 and 2013, was Chairperson of the Public Broadcasting Services. Under his chairmanship, he was responsible for the digital changeover for terrestrial transmissions; re-branding the station’s identity in image and content; modernized and relocated the studios to the historical television building and commenced HD transmissions.
Joseph is an honorary member of L-Akkademja tal-Malti, and was also a member of Il-Kunsill tal-Ilsien Malta, the National Book Council, and the editorial board of Il-Leħen.
Clare Azzopardi
Clare Azzopardi lives between two places, Malta and the Netherlands. She spends most of her time writing for children and adults. She taught Maltese literature for 25 years and was
head of the Maltese department at the University of Malta Junior College. She has won many awards, and her novel Castillo and short story collection Kulħadd ħalla isem warajh were translated into different languages such as English, Arabic, and Italian.