The National Book Council is publishing the list of eligible titles that have been submitted to the National Book Prize and Terramaxka Prize 2021, for books published in 2020, and among them are publications by three members of the JC & UM community.
All books have been screened for eligibility by the adjudication board according to respective categories. In total there have been 154 eligible submissions, 95 titles across the eight categories of the National Book Prize, and 59 titles across six categories of the Terramaxka Prize.
- Prof. Toni Aquilina from the Faculty of Arts is longlisted for his publication Il-Waqgħa (Albert Camus)
- Dr Marie Avellino and Prof. George Cassar from the Institute of Travel, Tourism & Culture is longlisted for their publication Tourism and the Maltese Islands: Observations, Reflections and Proposals
- Prof. Arnold Cassola from the Department of Maltese within the Faculty of Arts is longlisted for his publication Maltese Migration in Tunisian Coastal Towns (1836-1844)
- Prof. Carmel Cefai and Ms Natalie Galea from the Centre for Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health, are longlisted for the publication International Survey of Children's Wellbeing: Malta 2020
- Dr John A. Consiglio from the Department of Banking and Finance within the Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy is longlisted for his publication L-Ekonomija f'Ilsien ix-Xjenza u l-Filosofija
- Ms Leanne Ellul, Assistant Lecturer at the Junior College Department of Maltese, is longlisted for her publications L-Inventarju tal-Kamra l-Kaħla and Il-Mostru tal-Bajja tal-Ġnejna (Tikka Qari Livell 14)
- Ms Audrey Friggieri from the Faculty for Social Wellbeing is longlisted for her publication Enya l-Aljena... Reġina b'Kumbinazzjoni! (Tikka Qari Livell 7)
- Prof. Joe Friggieri from the Department of Philosophy within the Faculty of Arts is longlisted for his publication Widnet il-Baħar u Stejjer Oħra
- Dr Paulann Grech from the Department of Mental Health within the Faculty of Health Sciences is longlisted for her publication Dealing with Coronus: Self-help Notes for a Pandemic
- Prof. Gorg Mallia from the Department of Media & Communications within the Faculty of Media & Knowledge Sciences is longlisted for his publication Mitt Ruħ
- Dr Immanuel Mifsud from the Department of Maltese within the Faculty of Arts is longlisted for his and Toni Sant’s publication Jien - Noti - Jien: Ħsejjes u Stejjer
- Dr Terence Portelli from the Department of Languages and Humanities Education within the Faculty of Education is longlisted for his publication L-Esperjenza tat-Tagħlim
- Prof. Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci from the Department of Art and Art History within the Faculty of Arts is longlisted for his publications APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale 2020 – Regaining a Paradise Lost: The Role of the Arts and The Beheading of Ignez: Katabasis, Ezra Pound and Three Maltese Artists
- Prof. Keith Sciberras from the Department of Art and Art History, is longlisted for his publication Mattia Preti, Life and Works
- Prof. Conrad Thake, from the Department of Art and Art History, is longlisted for the publication he edited, called The Addolorata Cemetery
From this year, the Translation category has been broadened to include works of non-fiction, poetry and drama in Maltese translation, as well as works of fiction. Besides this change, the category for Poetry is once again considering poetry collections written in Maltese or English within the same category. The eight categories of the National Book Prize for adults are for: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Drama, Literary Non-Fiction, Translation, General Research, and Biographical and Historiographic Research. The six categories of the Terramaxka Prize comprise three categories for original works for children and adolescents (0–7, 8–12 and 13–16 year olds), and another three categories for translated works for the same age groups.
In the coming months, the members of the board will be reading the submissions in order to select the titles for the National Book Prize and Terramaxka shortlist. The shortlist will be published on the National Book Council’s website and will also appear in a number of local newspapers.
The winners of the Terramaxka Prize will be announced during an awards ceremony which will be taking place during the official opening of the Malta Book Festival on 2 November 2021. The winners of the National Book Prize will be announced later in December at an awards ceremony of which details will be communicated in due time.