British publisher seeks out short stories that ‘live and breathe’ Valletta

Valletta, the capital of Malta, has become the latest city to join British publisher Comma Press’s acclaimed Read the City series, a global literary project that invites readers to experience the world’s cities through the eyes of local writers. This edition is produced in collaboration with the National Book Council.

Following volumes focused on Prague, Havana, Manchester, and beyond, Valletta now takes centre stage in a collection that promises to explore the cities soul.

Kat Storace and Leanne Ellul, editors of The Book of Valletta spoke to MaltaToday about why the capital was a natural choice. “Comma Press created the Reading the City series to offer intimate, literary portraits of urban life from around the world Valletta has always stood out, a distinctive capital, shaped by centuries of conflict, celebration, decay, and renewal. It has so much to say.”

Writers wishing to submit for the anthology are asked not to merely set their stories in Valletta, but to make the city come alive through every line.

“We wanted stories that live and breathe Valletta,” they said. “This city isn’t a postcard backdrop, it’s dynamic, contradictory, evolving. It’s filled with people who’ve lived here for generations, alongside daily workers, recent arrivals, and transient tourists. We wanted stories that reflect this diversity, both in style and substance.”

The brief calls for more than familiar street names or historical references. The editors are looking for fiction that exposes Valletta’s contradictions, which is what makes it the unique city that it is.

Lef to right: Editors Kat Storace and Leanne Ellul

In shaping this vision, Storace and Ellul made a deliberate editorial choice to exclude poetry, autobiography, and silence-of-life narratives. But the decision isn’t about restricting expression.

“Comma Press has always championed the short story… our goal here is not to diminish the value of autobiographical or poetic work, but to challenge writers to transform those real-life elements into crafted fiction. It’s not about what’s told, it’s how it’s told. The short story, with its contained intensity, allows us to bring a cohesive narrative arc to this collection, where each piece stands on its own yet contributes to a larger picture.”

The editors are looking for stories that “critically engage with history,” and not just retellings, but fresh perspectives. “Perhaps voices that were side-lined or moments long overlooked. At the same time, the city’s emotional and cultural present is just as vital. How does the past inform today’s Valletta? That’s something we hope to see explored.”

Paramount, is that the setting cannot be swapped out for another location. Storace and Ellul are seeking out stories that could have only unfolded in Valletta; stories told by those who know Valletta’s sounds, shadows, and silences intimately.

“It’s important that the stories come from the inside out. We want to avoid eroticising the city. Instead, we want to celebrate its lived reality, from multiple viewpoints, including those often underrepresented in Maltese fiction.”

The anthology offers Maltese writers an international platform, and for global readers, it’s an invitation to step into Valletta’s unique heritage.

“The Book of Valletta places our city alongside over twenty others around the world,” they said “It’s a way of sharing Maltese literature with new audiences, while also carving out space in the global literary conversation for our own voices and stories. That matters—culturally, politically, and personally.”

Storace and Ellul hope that Valletta will not be seen as it was, but as it is; through the eyes of those that have walked through its streets, and know it best.

Everything you need to know

Submission Guidelines:

• Submissions Close: 30 June 2025.
• Submit via email as a Word Document or PDF to George at [email protected].
• Your email title must contain the phrase ‘Book of Valletta Submission’, or it may be missed. Please note the rules of entry outlined below. Submissions:
• Must be your own original work of fiction
• Must not have been published in English elsewhere
• Must be 2000 – 6000 words
• May be of any genre
• Must not contain any libellous, blasphemous or copyrighted material
• Must not contain symbols, emojis or other unconventional text formatting
• May be written in Maltese or English

What is not accepted:

• ‘Slice-of-life’ stories
• Autobiography or meditations
• Poetry
• Reportage or non-fiction
• Chapters or excerpts from a longer piece
• Stories that could take place in any other city
• Writers are encouraged to have a look at the Comma Press ‘Reading the City’ anthologies for an idea of what we’re after.

Translation

Writers are invited to submit the names of up to three preferred translators (if writing in Maltese). We cannot guarantee that you will be granted your chosen translator if selected for publication, but your preferences will be taken into consideration.

Payment & Rights

If selected for publication you will receive a one-time payment of £100. The rights to your story will remain with you and the rights to the specific English translation will remain with the translator, with all other rights belonging to Comma Press.