The National Book Council is in the process of issuing a minimum of eight grants totalling €40,000 for use by Maltese publications of cultural, educational, academic and literary value. Each project is being allocated a maximum of €5,000.
As council chairman Mark Camilleri explained, the reason for the grants is that while Maltese novels are popular, interesting works of a more profound nature are not usually commercially profitable since the niche audience in Malta is small, leading many publishers not taking the risk of publishing since they prove difficult to distribute.
There are a number of striking issues about the book fund grant. First, as the Education Minister rightly said, this will only be “a small boost” to publishers and authors. He wished to see “something as important as books” being given a helping hand both culturally and commercially. This is indeed worthy and commendable but, if so, the grant on offer should be substantially raised if it is to have a real and lasting effect.
Secondly, one cannot help observing that Melitensia – our study of Maltese culture, history, language and identity – is in extremely good health. One has only to go into any of Malta’s major bookshops to see the range, erudite depth and width of books on virtually every aspect of Maltese art, history and culture.
These cover the range from the most arcane – Human rights documentation in Malta or The quarrel of the Labour Party with the Church in Malta – to the most serious – Malta: culture and identity, The Malta Constitution or The Building of Malta 1530-1795 – to the most historical – The Order of St John in Malta or virtually any aspect of Malta’s 7,000 year history. And much else in between.
Malta must be one of the most written about places on the planet.
Largely responsible for the strong state of Melitensian affairs is, of course Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, under the guidance and leadership for the past 23 years of the redoubtable Maurice de Giorgio. For over two decades, it has collected and disseminated information and research into every aspect of Malta’s culture and historical heritage. Its quarterly magazine has become a collector’s item and is packed with every kind of well-written, well-researched article about Malta, which the intelligent reader could hope or wish for.
It has an outstanding list of books, mostly in English, which it has published on every aspect of Melitensia.
What is particularly remarkable about Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti is that, although it is a public body supported by government funding, it has also managed by dint of good marketing and persuasion to raise thousands of euros for its exhibitions and for its publications. A glance at the distinguished array of associates and benefactors, from HSBC to BOV to MFSA and the Corinthia Group and many others, attests to this.
Melitensia benefits directly from this financial support and there may be a lesson here for what the Malta Book Council should also be trying to do. Corporate sponsors of books on Melitensia may already be found. For example, the Farsons Foundation and Bank of Valletta and others have already sponsored important publications in the past.
The trick, surely, should be for the Malta Book Council to encourage its authors to go down this path and as the council to seek to broaden its Book Fund by engaging more closely with corporate sponsors.