Mark Camilleri gets €25,000 service contract with Arts Council

Mark Camilleri’s publishing house, Dar Camilleri, has been awarded a €25,000 contract by the Arts Council to draw up a report for the government entity.  

An Arts Council Malta spokesperson confirmed Dar Camilleri will be tasked with preparing a report on Commercialising Malta’s Culture Industries and Tapping Private Capital. 

The duration of the contract was not provided by the Arts Council. The Arts Council falls under the purview of Culture Minister Owen Bonnici. 

Dar Camilleri was set up by Camilleri as an independent publishing house in 2021, shortly after his government contract with the National Book Council was not renewed. 

Last year, Mark Camilleri had also confirmed he was in talks with the Education Ministry over a possible return as a consultant with the National Book Council. After MaltaToday revealed the possible engagement, Camilleri had said no contract was signed.  

In 2021, Camilleri’s contract with the Book Council was not renewed by the Education Ministry. He had subsequently filed a judicial protest against the National Book Council and the government, claiming that then Education Minister Justyne Caruana and Permanent Secretary Frank Fabri broke the law when they “completely disregarded” a decision taken by members of the National Book Congress when appointing the council. 

He went on to file a constitutional case in 2022, claiming political discrimination.  

Camilleri was awarded €500 after a court determined he suffered discrimination, but ruled the non-renewal of his contract as chairperson of the National Book Council was not illegal. 

In its ruling, the court also made reference to instances where Camilleri spoke to employees in a “vulgar, insolent and aggressive” manner.