The 25th edition of the Malta Book Fair, organised by the National Book Council and the Libraries Department of the Ministry of Education will be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre between November 11 and Sunday 15. Each year the Book Fair attracts some 20,000 readers.

The council said the aims of the Book Fair are to promote Maltese and foreign publications; to bring a wide range of recent publications to the attention of the local reading public; to encourage reading and establish a public conscience about children's literature and to foster professional contacts among publishers, printers, booksellers and librarians.

This year's programme includes:

Wednesday 11 November: 7 p.m.: Launching of the publication Alla Twajjeb Dejjem. A collection of Anton Buttigieg's poems compiled by Anselm Sciberras with a critical study by Oliver Friggieri.

Thursday 12 November: 7 p.m. tsek-tsik: A colorful event by Merlin Library Ltd.

Friday 13 November: 7 p.m. Trevor Zahra presents Serata ta' Letteratura Tikka Mqarba.

Saturday 14 November: 10 a.m. SKS launches the publication Pupu fil-Baħar; Alfred Sant's latest collections of novels.

Sunday 15 November: 5 p.m. Horizons present L-Istorja tal-Istorja written and read by Ġorġ Peresso.

6.30 p.m. Allied Publications launch Il-Politika tal-Persważjoni; Professor Guido de Marco's autobiography translated into Maltese by Charles Abela Mizzi.

The opening hours of the book fair are as follows:

November 11 and 12 : 9.00 a.m. - 1.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

Friday 13 November: 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.

Saturday 14 November: 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4-10 p.m.

Sunday 15 November: 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 3-9 p.m.

www.ktieb.org.mt.