Kids to get special performances at largest ever Malta Book Festival

Malta Book Festival doubles capacity with additional hall to accommodate more students

Actress Antonella Axisa will lead a team of actors for both a street theatre performance and one on stage based on Noel Tanti’s Fil-Kamra ta’ Jonas
Actress Antonella Axisa will lead a team of actors for both a street theatre performance and one on stage based on Noel Tanti’s Fil-Kamra ta’ Jonas

The Malta Book Festival 2018, the most prominent and prestigious book celebration of the year, will take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, starting from Wednesday 7 November and going on till Sunday 11 November.

For yet another year the Malta Book Festival will be dedicating a lot of activities to children aimed at encouraging them to read, having been set up to adhere to a philosophy that provides age-appropriate learning activities for children revolving around books and reading. Schools are encouraged to book a slot for their students to visit the Malta Book Festival 2018 (closing date is 20 October).

Since the Festival has doubled its capacity by adding an extra hall, double the number of students will be able to attend the Festival during the morning of weekdays, when a number of special performances will take place for them.

New to the Festival is a performance organised by the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School (MVPA), based on Antoinette Borg’s Fittixni, winners of last year’s Terramaxka Prize in the category ‘Books for Adolescents’. The play will be performed by young actors for the visiting students.

Additionally, actress Antonella Axisa will lead a team of actors for both a street theatre performance and one on stage based on Noel Tanti’s Fil-Kamra ta’ Jonas, also a National Book Prize winner in the Terramaxka section. Horizons is also organising an activity based on the Maltese translation of the book ‘El Cuento de Ferdinando’ (on which the children’s film Ferdinand is based).

Families will also have the opportunity to visit the Malta Book Festival 2018 hassle-free during the weekend, as a free shuttle service will be available on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 November all day to and from Publju bus stop, near the Independence Monument in Floriana in Sarria Street, to the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

The first trip from Floriana at 9:15 am on Saturday and 8:15 on Sunday, running every hour. Last trip from MCC at at 22:30 am on Saturday and 21:30 on Sunday, running every hour. This service is free of charge and will be operating on Saturday and Sunday only.

This year’s festival will be held on 7–11 November. The programme of events will be delivered in printed form to all households in Malta and Gozo in the next two weeks.