The National Book Council recently announced the 49 finalists for the 2024 National Book Prize and Terramaxka Prize, marking the 47th edition of this prestigious literary award in Malta. The National Book Prize is the highest literary honor bestowed upon authors, editors, translators, publishers, and illustrators of books published in Malta in the previous year.
This year’s finalists cover a wide range of categories, including the best short stories, historiographic research, and children’s literature works. However, it was noted that no novels made it to the shortlist for the National Book Prize, and there were no entries received for the Drama category.
The winners of each category will be revealed during an award-giving ceremony on 20 September 2024. These winning books will receive a period of promotion and will be showcased at the upcoming Malta Book Festival in November 2024.
The selection process for the finalists was carried out by an independent panel of adjudicators who evaluated the submissions based on established criteria. A total of 22 books were shortlisted for the National Book Prize categories, while 27 books were selected for the Terramaxka Prize categories. These books were published by 10 different publishers and authored by 27 different individuals, including authors and translators.
The categories for the National Book Prize include Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Drama, Non-Fiction, Translation, Research, and Historiographic Research. On the other hand, the Terramaxka Prize categories focus on Picture books for children, Children’s Literature, and Young Adult Literature, as well as Picture books and Children’s Literature translated into Maltese, and Young Adult Literature in Maltese Translation.
Interestingly, the adjudication panel decided not to shortlist any titles in the Novels category for this year’s competition. This decision was made to uphold the highest literary standards and ensure that the integrity of the prize is maintained. The panel emphasized the importance of promoting exceptional literary work in Malta and suggested initiatives such as masterclasses to support authors in achieving literary excellence.
Despite the absence of novels in the shortlist, the quality of research books, poetry, and translations was praised by the adjudicators. The Terramaxka Prize categories were also commended for their engaging illustrations and well-crafted narratives.
Prizes will be awarded in categories where the shortlisted titles meet a high standard of literary, cultural, or academic merit, with a minimum score of 90 marks. The prize money for each National Book Prize category is €4,000, with an additional €1,000 prize for the publisher of each winning book. The translation categories of the Terramaxka Prize offer a prize of €2,000, along with the publisher’s prize of €1,000.
All shortlisted books for the National Book Prize are available in local bookstores and online shops, with a special showcase planned for the 2024 Malta Book Festival. For more updates on the 2024 National Book Prize and other National Book Council initiatives, readers are encouraged to follow their Facebook page or visit ktieb.org.mt.
In conclusion, the 2024 National Book Prize and Terramaxka Prize highlight the diverse literary talent in Malta and celebrate outstanding contributions to the local literary scene.