Inside the 2025 Malta Book Fund: Budget increases, new categories, and application changes

What is the total budget allocated for the Malta Book Fund in 2025, and how is it distributed across different grant categories?

The 2025 Malta Book Fund saw an increase in its budget from the previous year, namely by €15,000, for a total allocated budget of €135,000. This budget is distributed across five distinct categories, each addressing the needs of particular book endeavours which in summation make up the Maltese literary ecosystem.

The category for new books supports the publication of high-quality literature and research works, prioritising ambitious projects with significant cultural value that may not be commercially viable. Each year we receive submissions for projects which, according to the judges, are very promising, well-researched and would contribute highly to the rich tradition of Melitensia books. But not only, as this category accepts submissions for fiction projects. This strand has the biggest pot of the fund, with its €55,000, which on a good year would mean 12 to 13 projects awarded funding.

What types of projects are typically supported by the category for new books, and why is this category considered so essential to the literary ecosystem?

The category for the republication of out-of-print books has been a hit since its introduction in the scheme three years ago. With a total fund of €15,000, it has helped in addressing a lacuna in our publishing industry—the lack of Maltese classics or best-sellers which would still be sought after but which would be nowhere to be found, except if you’re lucky and find a copy with someone who’s willing to sell it to you. These books, when republished, rekindle the themes which made them national classics of literature or Melitensia, reminding us that literature is life—while trends may change fast, some core values evolve slowly and are ever-present.

The category for the export of books by Maltese authors funds the translation and publication of Maltese works into other languages, including anthologies featuring original Maltese fiction or non-fiction and the publication of English-language Maltese works in new markets. It’s our second biggest strand, with €45,000, helping in the translation and publication of an average of nine books being funded each year. We want our authors to be known and read abroad, not just because Maltese literature has its own part to offer to the rest of the world, but also because being published abroad can potentially lead to greater income for our authors through royalties.

The category for book translation pitches is also an export category, albeit for the translation of excerpts from Maltese works into other languages to be used as a pitch. The concept of pitching a sample of one’s work abroad as a means of attracting attention is an accepted procedure in the international publishing industry, and by introducing this category three years ago, the National Book Council aims to professionalise the Maltese industry by helping authors know how to approach a foreign publisher with all the documentation needed as per standard. The value of this strand is €5,000.

The category for the translation and publication into Maltese encourages accessibility and cultural exchange. With a budget of €20,000 and an average of four projects funded each year, this strand enriches our local scene with great works of literature published in Maltese and made accessible through the skill of our Maltese translators. It helps to enrich our national language too, as translation is also an exercise of professionally crafting, renewing and moulding the language so that it is able to acquire a new way of seeing and expression.

How has the application process for the Malta Book Fund changed in 2025, particularly regarding its online submission system?

The documents needed to submit your proposal have remained unchanged, but the process has gone totally online. Prospective applicants are required to use our third-party provider Submittable by following this link and choosing Malta Book Fund 2025: https://ktieb.submittable.com/submit. One would first need to create a Submittable account, then use that account to apply for the Malta Book Fund. The system allows users to stop uploading documents at any given time, save as draft and continue later. It also allows you to request to change a document already uploaded.

What steps should applicants take to ensure their submissions are complete and meet the eligibility criteria?

Prospective applicants should first head to www.ktieb.org.mt and download the rules and regulations of the respective strand they are applying in. There they will find both the eligibility and the adjudication criteria. The latter is very important as it indicates which strong points the adjudicators will look at when deciding to give marks. The former deals mainly with mandatory documents without which the application won’t even make it to the adjudication phase.

What is the timeline for the 2025 Malta Book Fund, including application deadlines and the announcement of results?

Deadline for submitting your project is 20 May, at noon. Preparing a sound application, with all the mandatory and non-mandatory documentation takes time. There is actually no limit to the number of documents applicants wish to submit, as long as they are

relevant to the project and strengthen its appeal with the adjudicators.

Results will be announced approximately eight weeks after the deadline. In this period, adjudicators will be looking at each application individually and then as a group, so as to arrive at a final list of beneficiaries.