Of books and bells

Books, books and more books. A veritable feast of literature laid out sumptuously in the beautiful hall of the Mediterranean Conference Centre as the National Book Council brings together an impressive number of authors, publishing houses and exhibitors in the 24th Book Fair.

I have many weaknesses. One of them is a gluttony for chocolates. Another one, and by far a healthier one, is a passion for books. I buy them, I read them, I collect them. We are running out of space at home. They spill out in every room. There are boxes of children's books in the garage because when my children outgrew them, the memories of so many happy hours were so strong, I didn't have the heart to give them away and have put them aside for my grandchildren. A love for books is the best legacy I can pass on to them.

The Book Fair is always worth a visit. This year is no exception. It might be a personal impression but this year's edition is by far the best I have seen and I have been a faithful and loyal consumer over the years, since the first fair way back in time. Praise should be definitely heaped upon the small number of dedicated people who, gratis et amore, dedicate so much time and energy to the organisation of this annual event.

It is amazing how the book industry has grown and developed in an island as small as ours. It's amazing indeed to learn that, on average, a book a day is published in Malta.

At the official opening I was only allowed a whirlwind run through the stands but it was enough for me to appreciate the wide variety of literature available. An abundance of children's books I would have loved to get my hands on as I grew up on an overdose of Enid Blyton and, later on, Georgette Heyer. Innovative bi-lingual books, tomes ranging from archaeology to semantics, religious books, sophisticated coffee table publications and a wide range of fiction novels for the discerning and the not so-discerning.

It is the number of Maltese books and books in Maltese that is most impressive.

When one considers the limitations of the local market it is way beyond the impressive.

In 2006 alone the Book Fair welcomed more than 16,000 visitors. Many of those visitors were children and students. Good news, very good news.

As a nation we do not have a creditable record when it comes to reading habits. Strangely enough, I am told that while our children are statistically held to be among the youngest to learn to read, they do not develop a love for reading for its own sake, for the pleasure it gives and the knowledge it imparts.

The chairman of the National Book Council whispered an aside that the Council intended to carry out an in-depth and nationwide research to come up with answers that have escaped us for far too long. Why is our culture for reading so poor as a nation? With a gleam in his eye he went on to whisper that he needed financial help to carry out the research. Point taken. He has the ministry's full support.

The Book Fair coincides with the visit of Leonard Orban, EU Commissioner for Multilingualism. No doubt his visit to the fair speaks volumes in more ways than one. Multilingualism is not something new to this country. Apart from the historical legacies we are a nation blessed with a natural flair for languages and it is a gift that, as yet, we do not exploit to the fullest.

The maxim Keep it Simple is one that should be invariably followed. It results in success stories. A case in point was the evocative, beautifully planned ceremony that paid homage to those who laid down their lives in the two World Wars.

The young students who sang heart-tugging songs, appropriately chosen for the occasion, read poems and prayers under a November sun in the shadow of the Great Siege Bell in Valletta and listened to the elderly gentleman's memories of war-torn Malta had a history lesson worth a dozen classroom ones.

The message of the songs and poems focused on the need for peace, a peace that starts from within the individual and ripples out to the other members of the family, the community, the nation and the world.

In the serene surroundings, warmed by the sun, it was hard to believe that currently there are more than 60 wars bringing havoc and tragedy in different parts of the world.

And as the bell tolled noon we mourned the dead. It might have been appropriate to remember the living whose lives are torn apart by the ravishes of war.

Ms Cristina is Minister of Education