No novels shortlisted for National Book Prize after entries fall short of expectations

The adjudication panel for the National Book Prize decided not to shortlist any titles in the Novels category in this year’s competition, saying the overall literary quality fell short of the expectations for a national award.

Additionally, while two finalists were shortlisted in the Short Stories in Maltese and English category, ultimately no prize was awarded for this category as both titles fell short of the minimum score of 90 marks.

“This choice reflects a commitment to maintaining the highest literary standards and ensuring that the integrity of the prize is preserved,” the National Book Council said.

The winning titles of the 2024 National Book Prize were selected from a shortlist of 61 titles, published in the preceding year, across 12 competitive categories: 49 books were shortlisted across six National Book Prize categories, and 27 books for children and young adults have been shortlisted in the six Terramaxka Prize categories. Adjudicators were asked to select a maximum of five entries for each shortlisted category.

Two special prizes were also bestowed during the ceremony. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred to Giovanni Bonello.

The award for Best Emergent Author was given to Ryan Falzon.

The members of the adjudication board of the 2024 National Book Prize and Terramaxka were Ruth Ancilleri, Robert Attard, Nicole Bugeja, Roderick Mallia, Omar ’N’ Shea, Maria Theuma, Mario Thomas Vassallo, Sherise Zammit and William Zammit.

The Terramaxka Prize this year celebrated several children’s books for their outstanding quality in both content and production. The adjudicators praised the books for their engaging themes, contemporary illustrations, and the creative way authors and illustrators addressed new and important topics for young readers. The winning titles stood out for their ability to capture the imagination of children, with visual storytelling that enhanced the reading experience and made complex subjects accessible to a younger audience. The overall high standard of entries reflected the growing quality of children’s literature in these categories.

National Book Prize for Adults 2024

Novels in Maltese and English

No shortlisted titles

Short Stories in Maltese and English

Prize not awarded

Poetry in Maltese and English

Għażiż Ġismi by Immanuel Mifsud (Klabb Kotba Maltin)

Drama

No longlisted titles

Translation

Il-Frammenti ta’ Saffo (Saffo) translated by Warren Bartolo (Ede Books)

Literary Non-Fiction in Maltese and English

Fejjaqtni Int: Rużar Briffa – u Jien by Paul P. Borg (Self-published)

Research

Vincenzo Bonello: His Legacy in Heritage edited by Theresa Vella (Kite Group)

Historiographic Research

Jacques François de Chambray: The Order He Served, the Island He Loved, and the Fort He Built by Joseph Scicluna (Kite Group)

Best Book Production

Ede Books for the book Il-Frammenti ta’ Saffo (Saffo) translated by Warren Bartolo

Lifetime Achievement Award

Giovanni Bonello

Award for Best Emergent Writer

Ryan Falzon

The Terramaxka Prize for Children and Young Adults 2024

Original Works for Children ages 0–7

Madame Ortensja Paskwalina De Rohan by Clare Azzopardi, illustrated by Moira Scicluna Zahra (Merlin Publishers)

Original Works for Children ages 8–12

Il-Każ tal-Kappell Ikkalibrat by Leanne Ellul, illustrated by Marisa Attard (Merlin Publishers)

Young Adult Literature

Iż-Żmien Kurjuż taż-Żgħożija edited by Clare Azzopardi and Glen Calleja (Aġenzija Żgħażagħ)

Translation for Children ages 0–7

Iddeverti Kemm Tiflaħ, Binti! (Mandy Archer; Shane Crampton ill.) translated by Janet Mallia (BDL Publishing)

Translation for Children ages 8–12

Maskra Ħamra: Sensiela Kif Issir Supereroj 2 (Elias Våhlund; Agnes Våhlund ill.) translated by Antoinette Borg (Merlin Publishers)

Young Adult Literature in Translation

Fake ta’ Veru (Nereida Carrillo; Alberto Montt ill.) translated by David Aloisio (Merlin Publishers)

Best Book Production

Merlin Publishers for the book M għal Malta by Naomi Gatt