Empowering Maltese Authors and Publishers: MEIA's feedback on the Malta Book Festival 2024
The Malta Book Festival is a significant event that serves as a vital platform for authors, publishers, and readers to connect and engage. As the Malta Book Festival concluded a few days ago, MEIA would like to take this opportunity to express its recognition for the success of this year’s festival, which brought together a diverse array of audiences, voices and perspectives.
While we celebrate the achievements of this year’s festival, it is essential to reflect on certain aspects that warrant attention. Following several discussions with stakeholders in the literary community, MEIA would like to share its concerns regarding two main issues that emerged from the event. These concerns are not only crucial for the future of the festival but also for the ongoing development of the sector.
Book Dumping
The phenomenon of ‘book dumping’ is negatively impacting Maltese publishers. It creates unfair competition for high-quality Maltese publications, and we believe it has no place at the Malta Book Festival, which should be promoting the quality of Maltese books. We would like to see a more refined Book Festival where priority is given to quality over quantity. Only in this way can we continue to grow in this sector.
Priority to Maltese Authors
While it is beneficial to bring in foreign authors, we must ensure that Maltese authors are given greater priority at the festival. Where we have Maltese authors of high caliber, we should invest more in them rather than allocating large sums to foreign authors who, although they provide unique insights from their experiences, Maltese authors can also offer similar value on various levels. We reiterate that while it is good to host international authors of high standing, it is equally essential to invest in our local authors. Therefore, we wish to see a more balanced investment between local and foreign authors.
MEIA recognizes that the literary sector is a new focus area within our organisation. As we move forward, we are committed to voicing and strengthening this sector by listening to and considering all perspectives. We look forward to collaborating with stakeholders such as the National Book Council to foster discussions that will benefit the entire literary community and promote its progression in Malta.
Nagħtu s-Saħħa lill-Awturi u Pubblikaturi Maltin: Ir-rispons tal-MEIA dwar il-Malta Book Festival 2024
Il-Malta Book Festival huwa avveniment u pjattaforma vitali għall-awturi, pubblikaturi, u qarrejja. Kif ikkonkluda l-Malta Book Festival ftit jiem ilu, il-MEIA tixtieq tieħu din l-opportunità biex tesprimi r-rikonoxximent tagħha għas-suċċess tal-festival ta’ din is-sena, li ġabar flimkien firxa diversa ta’ udjenzi, vuċijiet u perspettivi.
Filwaqt li niċċelebraw il-kisbiet tal-festival ta’ din is-sena, huwa essenzjali li nirriflettu fuq ċerti aspetti li jistħoqqilhom attenzjoni. Wara diversi diskussjonijiet mal-partijiet interessati fil-komunità letterarja, il-MEIA tixtieq taqsam it-tħassib tagħha dwar żewġ kwistjonijiet ewlenin li ħarġu mill-avveniment. Dan it-tħassib mhux biss huwa kruċjali għall-futur tal-festival iżda wkoll għall-iżvilupp kontinwu tas-settur.
Book Dumping
- Il-fenomenu tal-‘book dumping’ qiegħed itellef lill-pubblikaturi Maltin. Qed joħloq kompetizzjoni mhux xierqa għall-prodott Malti ta’ kwalità u nemmnu li postu mhux fil-Festival tal-Ktieb li għandu jippromwovi l-kwalità tal-ktieb Malti. Nixtiequ naraw Festival tal-Ktieb aktar mirqum, fejn il-prijorità għandha tkun il-kwalità u mhux il-kwantità. B’hekk biss nistgħu nkomplu nikbru f’dan is-settur.
Prijiorità lill-awturi Maltin
- Tajjeb li jinġiebu awturi barranin, imma rridu noqogħdu attenti li l-awturi Maltin jingħataw prijorità akbar fil-festival. Fejn għandek awturi Maltin ta’ kalibru ejja ninvestu aktar fihom, milli ninvestu ammonti kbar ta’ flus f’xi ħadd barrani li għalkemm se jagħtik għerf uniku mill-esperjenza tiegħu, l-awturi Maltin ukoll jistgħu joffru dan fuq diversi livelli. Nenfasizzaw mill-ġdid li huwa tajjeb li jinġiebu awturi ta’ kalibru internazzjonali imma huwa fundamentali wkoll li ninvestu fl-awturi tagħna. B’hekk nixtiequ naraw aktar bilanċ fl-investiment li qed isir bejn il-lokal u l-barrani.
Il-MEIA tagħraf li s-settur letterarju huwa qasam ġdid ta’ ħidma fi ħdan l-organizzazzjoni. Hekk kif inħarsu ’l quddiem, aħna impenjati li nesprimu u nsaħħu dan is-settur billi nisimgħu u nqisu l-perspettivi kollha. Nistennew bil-ħerqa li nikkollaboraw mal-partijiet interessati bħall-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb biex inrawmu diskussjonijiet li jkunu ta’ benefiċċju għall-komunità letterarja kollha u jippromwovu l-progress tagħha f’Malta.