Stacks upon stacks of books were lifted out of their boxes and put on shelves at the Mediterranean Conference Centre this morning ahead of preparations for the  National Book Festival which formally opens tomorrow and opens to the public on Wednesday.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo was present for the preparations this morning and cited the revamped edition of the book fair as being of great importance in helping spread a culture of reading and celebrating local talent.

Just under 40 NGOs, publishing houses and book stores have come together to fill the hall with books in Maltese and English of all genres and for all ages.

Mark Camilleri, chairman of the National Book Council, tasked with organising the event, explained that this year's edition will see a number of activities, such as discussions and debates on the state of literary criticism as well as a number of book launches.

Schoolchildren with also be entertained by drama productions, sing-alongs, storytelling sessions, puppet shows and various hands-on activities.

The festival continues till Sunday.

Click on the link to access the full programme.