Registrations open for National Book Council’s first Annual Book Conference

The National Book Council (NBC) has opened registrations for the inaugural edition of its Annual Book Conference, which will be held on May 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Qawra.

The conference is intended to serve as a yearly meeting point for publishers, authors, translators, readers and other stakeholders in Malta’s publishing sector, with the aim of fostering discussion and identifying future directions for the industry.

The first edition, titled The Economy and the Book, will examine how publishing, bookselling and reading cultures operate within small and micro economies such as Malta’s.

Discussions will address issues including market scale, language, readership and consumption patterns, with the goal of encouraging debate, generating ideas to inform future policy development and positioning Malta’s book sector within a wider European and international context.

A preliminary programme for the event has been published, with organisers saying a more detailed schedule will be released closer to the conference date.

National Book Council executive chairperson Mark Camilleri said the event forms part of the council’s strategic plans for the coming years.

“We are very excited to launch the brief initial programme for the Annual Book Conference, with a more comprehensive one to follow in the days leading up to the event on 8 May,” Camilleri said.

“An important deliverable within our Five-Year Strategic Vision of 2025–2030, the conference will open up necessary debates on the local publishing industry within a framework that is backed by rigorous research that is sure to yield positive, actionable outcomes." 

Registration costs €30 and includes entrance to the conference, parking and lunch.

The deadline to register is 2 April at 12pm. Those interested can register through the council’s online submission platform by following the link https://ktieb.submittable.com/submit.