The Malta Book Fair, organised every November by the National Book Council with the collaboration of the Libraries Department, is an anticipated destination for thousands of book lovers in Malta who get very little grace during the rest of the year. And this in spite of the many book fairs organised by different entities, including the council itself, throughout the whole year. Unfortunately, the Maltese book lover is a much maligned statistic, numerically low and often bandied about as proof positive that the Maltese do not read.
And, yet, the last two Malta Book Fairs, the first in many years to be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, attracted an average of 15,000 visitors each. Does this prove the statistics wrong? No, unfortunately not. Nor does it prove them right.
We do know that there is a core of dedicated readers on the island who love books for what they are and the wealth they can give but we also know, offhand, of a large number of reasons why the Maltese as a nation are so low on the European scales of readers. Short distances preclude reading on public transport. The nature of the climate is conducive to more physically-oriented activities than reading. These are joined by more universal reasons, such as the incursion of electronic distractions from the more traditional fare of book reading.
But there is also lacking a culture for reading, infused within the infrastructure of Maltese society. The National Book Council has been working hard to instil elements of such a culture - on the internet, across the media, through fora and discussions, by means of useful publications and by its constant, friendly presence among publishers, writers, book sellers and readers alike. Yet, a lot more effort, by many more than just the one financially-destitute though vocationally-wealthy entity, is needed across the gamut of society and its administration for a tangible change to be felt.
There is also the question of understanding exactly what the problem is. We may speculate but we do not have the facts in hand to be able to address directly the core of the issues that determine readership in Malta and Gozo. Research carried out by Eurobarometer has determined whether the Maltese have or have not read a book over a period of a year. The National Office of Statistics has also carried out research in this area but it has also been limited to finding out "what" rather than "why".
I think it is time to carry out nation-wide, long-term research on the issue in order to understand exactly why the Maltese have the lowest rate of reading in the European Union. At the moment we are like a medical doctor knowing there is the presence of harmful bacteria causing an illness but not knowing exactly what it is and having to use a broad-spectrum antibiotic hoping to purge it. It is now time for us to stop using broad spectrum solutions and find out exactly what the problems are so we can target them and find ways of solving them directly and efficiently.
Money, like in every thing else, is a problem. And money for research seems to be a problem much bigger than in any other case. The National Book Council has the full support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport but money is a commodity. There is only enough to barely make ends meet with the two main activities of the council (the National Book Prize and the Book Fair... and there's even a deficit there) money for research of the type being envisaged will need to be added on or found from elsewhere. And it must be found - for this and for the many other activities that can promote book reading. Culture is one of the backbones of a civilised society and, if it is neglected, the civilised credentials of that society might well be in question.
Having said all this, it will still be a pleasure to watch the thousands roll into the main hall of the Mediterranean Conference Centre between (November 12 and16), wallowing in a love of a medium that is as enriching as it is simple to navigate; as wonderful as it is wise. It is time again to celebrate the book.
Dr Mallia is the chairman of the National Book Council.
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