The write stuff
Showtime talks to publisher Chris Gruppetta of Merlin books.
Did you go into publishing because it was what you always wanted to do, or because Merlin happened to be the family business?
Very much the former - in fact I trained and worked for various years in a totally different area before moving into publishing. Books were always part of my world, and when I was young I was often told NOT to go on reading as otherwise I wouldn't get any homework done!
Merlin is noted for publishing children's books. Is this a fairly recent innovation that you have brought in, or does it go back some way?
Merlin has always specialised in children's books. In fact the first Maltese children's leisure-reading books were published by Merlin way back in 1971. I have merely helped tweak the Merlin list to incorporate some of today's freshest writing, even at times risking with slightly unorthodox publications. Professionally I have been lucky to inherit a strong backlist with Malta's key children's authors. The challenge was - and still is - to keep the Merlin list fresh, edgy and exciting without losing its history and tradition.
You have recently published a very successful children's book in the Maltese language, Sqaq l-Infern. Is there much of a market for Maltese literature for children, or was this a labour of love?
Sqaq l-Infern turned into Merlin's fastest-selling fiction title ever, selling over 1,000 copies in nine days. Unexpectedly, it is having a big crossover appeal, with many adults buying and reading it. I'd love to say I just knew it would be a record-smashing bestseller, but to be honest I didn't. I just knew as soon as I read the manuscript that I couldn't pass this book up and that it would appeal even to traditionally non-Maltese-book-reading children. It was a labour of love in the sense that the team I assembled was one of those rare situations where everyone just clicks.
Within a small community like the Maltese islands, publishing in numbers is obviously the exception rather than the rule. Is specialised publishing the answer? If yes, do you focus on any other type of publication besides children's books?
Absolutely. Average printruns are infinitesimally small, which causes nightmares when working costings, due to lack of economy of scale.
Last year we launched an adult imprint - inaugurated with Il-Linja l-Hadra - to be able to publish some manuscripts that are so exciting that we wouldn't want to miss out on publishing. The idea is for this to remain a small but sexy list of some unusual, interesting adult fiction.
In the past, literature in the Maltese language was rather looked upon as the poor relation to English language texts. Is this attitude changing, and if so, is this, in your view, a good or a bad trend?
Maltese children's fiction has often been, partly unjustly, accused of being English fiction's poorer, drabber cousin. The challenge of helping make the end-product as cutting-edge as the best in international literature was too unique an opportunity to pass up. The content is there - we have some fantastic authors and illustrators in Malta - it's often a matter of fine-tuning and editing. I'm also a firm believer in packaging, as I think the only way a children's book can remain relevant is to be as attractively packaged as any other child-oriented product. Perhaps we (I'm including myself in this) have to get off the high horse of literature being something to be looked at, in subdued awe, from afar and with veneration. Children's fiction has to be well-written, yes, but first and foremost it should be about fun, amazement and being transported into worlds of stories and adventure.
I think Sqaq l-Infern proved that yes, the Maltese public is ready to accept Maltese reading as long as the book is appealing enough in content and presentation.
Let's find out a little more about you. Where were you born, educated... And to what level?
I was born 33 years ago, and although the temptation to pack and leave for more dynamic pastures is always lurking, passion for my job has so far always kept me here. I'm married to Rachel - who is my life support and the person who keeps me going. We're always promising ourselves to work less and enjoy life more ... I'll keep you posted.
I studied law at the University of Malta 15 years ago, and am currently reading for a Masters in publishing studies in Aberdeen. In between work deadlines, I'm researching my dissertation on the science of children's book cover design.
You were recently selected to represent Malta as national finalist for the International Young Publisher Of The Year Award. What exactly is this and how did you fare in the UK?
IYPY is organised by the British Council and brings together nine young publishers from around the globe for a tour of the UK publishing industry. I learnt in those 10 days what would have taken me 10 years to learn otherwise. It was exciting - and humbling - to learn from the masters and get to watch first-hand the various editorial, marketing, distribution departments at work. I made lots of contacts which enabled me to circulate English translations of Maltese manuscripts. It's interesting to discover what a lot Maltese publishing has in common with other Mediterranean countries, beyond merely the UK world.
At one time you were quite into theatre and even ran your own theatre group Faces. Are you still involved in the stage?
Theatre requires a time and commitment that at present I do not have. My other partners in Faces are still very much active, and as far as I'm concerned I'm hoping to return to that chapter at some future stage in life.
The internet is spreading worldwide. Do you see it having a long-term detrimental effect on publishing? If yes, what are you doing to offset this?
Detrimental, no. Much has been said about the demise of books, but that will not be through the internet. True, it has redimensioned some reference areas such as encyclopaedias, but otherwise it has given books another dimension. Some of our books - and many books worldwide - nowadays have a dedicated website which takes the book further. And, of course, online purchasing is a terrific way of spreading Maltese books to the Maltese diaspora!
What difference, if any, has EU membership made to publishing opportunities in Malta and overseas?
Not much unfortunately. Unlike practically any other European country you could name, the authorities provide zilch assistance to publishing. Other EU countries have tremendous schemes to assist authors and publishers. In Malta publishers are still seen as the enemy to be kept at arms length, rather than allies to partner with.
When it comes to content in a publication, are there still some lines you cannot cross, some unspoken censorship parameters remaining? Or can you more or less print what you like?
Again, the situation is changing. Some quasi-self-published books have broken down boundaries in the past few years (Guzè Stagno in primis), although for an established publisher to cross the same lines entails a totally different risk dimension. Authors like Immanuel Mifsud, Clare Azzopardi and others have pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable - as long as it is coupled with good literature.
At Merlin we have pushed some boundaries in what is allowed in teenage literature - again, as long as the writing is good and not just an excuse for smut, I will back it, as I believe teenagers can cope with frank language. Trevor Zahra's recent books were prime examples of this, and an upcoming teenage book by Pierre J. Mejlak, Rih Isfel, will perhaps raise some eyebrows.
You appear to have achieved quite a lot at a comparatively young age. What's next for Chris Gruppetta and where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
What's next for Chris Gruppetta? A holiday, hopefully. Lol!
I want to take Maltese children's literature abroad, where I believe some of it can make an impact. And of course I'm hoping that the current excitement with Maltese literature will go on, and that professionalism at all levels - editors, proofreaders, design - becomes the norm rather than a top-of-the-range whim.
Very much the former - in fact I trained and worked for various years in a totally different area before moving into publishing. Books were always part of my world, and when I was young I was often told NOT to go on reading as otherwise I wouldn't get any homework done!
Merlin is noted for publishing children's books. Is this a fairly recent innovation that you have brought in, or does it go back some way?
Merlin has always specialised in children's books. In fact the first Maltese children's leisure-reading books were published by Merlin way back in 1971. I have merely helped tweak the Merlin list to incorporate some of today's freshest writing, even at times risking with slightly unorthodox publications. Professionally I have been lucky to inherit a strong backlist with Malta's key children's authors. The challenge was - and still is - to keep the Merlin list fresh, edgy and exciting without losing its history and tradition.
You have recently published a very successful children's book in the Maltese language, Sqaq l-Infern. Is there much of a market for Maltese literature for children, or was this a labour of love?
Sqaq l-Infern turned into Merlin's fastest-selling fiction title ever, selling over 1,000 copies in nine days. Unexpectedly, it is having a big crossover appeal, with many adults buying and reading it. I'd love to say I just knew it would be a record-smashing bestseller, but to be honest I didn't. I just knew as soon as I read the manuscript that I couldn't pass this book up and that it would appeal even to traditionally non-Maltese-book-reading children. It was a labour of love in the sense that the team I assembled was one of those rare situations where everyone just clicks.
Within a small community like the Maltese islands, publishing in numbers is obviously the exception rather than the rule. Is specialised publishing the answer? If yes, do you focus on any other type of publication besides children's books?
Absolutely. Average printruns are infinitesimally small, which causes nightmares when working costings, due to lack of economy of scale.
Last year we launched an adult imprint - inaugurated with Il-Linja l-Hadra - to be able to publish some manuscripts that are so exciting that we wouldn't want to miss out on publishing. The idea is for this to remain a small but sexy list of some unusual, interesting adult fiction.
In the past, literature in the Maltese language was rather looked upon as the poor relation to English language texts. Is this attitude changing, and if so, is this, in your view, a good or a bad trend?
Maltese children's fiction has often been, partly unjustly, accused of being English fiction's poorer, drabber cousin. The challenge of helping make the end-product as cutting-edge as the best in international literature was too unique an opportunity to pass up. The content is there - we have some fantastic authors and illustrators in Malta - it's often a matter of fine-tuning and editing. I'm also a firm believer in packaging, as I think the only way a children's book can remain relevant is to be as attractively packaged as any other child-oriented product. Perhaps we (I'm including myself in this) have to get off the high horse of literature being something to be looked at, in subdued awe, from afar and with veneration. Children's fiction has to be well-written, yes, but first and foremost it should be about fun, amazement and being transported into worlds of stories and adventure.
I think Sqaq l-Infern proved that yes, the Maltese public is ready to accept Maltese reading as long as the book is appealing enough in content and presentation.
Let's find out a little more about you. Where were you born, educated... And to what level?
I was born 33 years ago, and although the temptation to pack and leave for more dynamic pastures is always lurking, passion for my job has so far always kept me here. I'm married to Rachel - who is my life support and the person who keeps me going. We're always promising ourselves to work less and enjoy life more ... I'll keep you posted.
I studied law at the University of Malta 15 years ago, and am currently reading for a Masters in publishing studies in Aberdeen. In between work deadlines, I'm researching my dissertation on the science of children's book cover design.
You were recently selected to represent Malta as national finalist for the International Young Publisher Of The Year Award. What exactly is this and how did you fare in the UK?
IYPY is organised by the British Council and brings together nine young publishers from around the globe for a tour of the UK publishing industry. I learnt in those 10 days what would have taken me 10 years to learn otherwise. It was exciting - and humbling - to learn from the masters and get to watch first-hand the various editorial, marketing, distribution departments at work. I made lots of contacts which enabled me to circulate English translations of Maltese manuscripts. It's interesting to discover what a lot Maltese publishing has in common with other Mediterranean countries, beyond merely the UK world.
At one time you were quite into theatre and even ran your own theatre group Faces. Are you still involved in the stage?
Theatre requires a time and commitment that at present I do not have. My other partners in Faces are still very much active, and as far as I'm concerned I'm hoping to return to that chapter at some future stage in life.
The internet is spreading worldwide. Do you see it having a long-term detrimental effect on publishing? If yes, what are you doing to offset this?
Detrimental, no. Much has been said about the demise of books, but that will not be through the internet. True, it has redimensioned some reference areas such as encyclopaedias, but otherwise it has given books another dimension. Some of our books - and many books worldwide - nowadays have a dedicated website which takes the book further. And, of course, online purchasing is a terrific way of spreading Maltese books to the Maltese diaspora!
What difference, if any, has EU membership made to publishing opportunities in Malta and overseas?
Not much unfortunately. Unlike practically any other European country you could name, the authorities provide zilch assistance to publishing. Other EU countries have tremendous schemes to assist authors and publishers. In Malta publishers are still seen as the enemy to be kept at arms length, rather than allies to partner with.
When it comes to content in a publication, are there still some lines you cannot cross, some unspoken censorship parameters remaining? Or can you more or less print what you like?
Again, the situation is changing. Some quasi-self-published books have broken down boundaries in the past few years (Guzè Stagno in primis), although for an established publisher to cross the same lines entails a totally different risk dimension. Authors like Immanuel Mifsud, Clare Azzopardi and others have pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable - as long as it is coupled with good literature.
At Merlin we have pushed some boundaries in what is allowed in teenage literature - again, as long as the writing is good and not just an excuse for smut, I will back it, as I believe teenagers can cope with frank language. Trevor Zahra's recent books were prime examples of this, and an upcoming teenage book by Pierre J. Mejlak, Rih Isfel, will perhaps raise some eyebrows.
You appear to have achieved quite a lot at a comparatively young age. What's next for Chris Gruppetta and where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
What's next for Chris Gruppetta? A holiday, hopefully. Lol!
I want to take Maltese children's literature abroad, where I believe some of it can make an impact. And of course I'm hoping that the current excitement with Maltese literature will go on, and that professionalism at all levels - editors, proofreaders, design - becomes the norm rather than a top-of-the-range whim.