National Book Prize 2021: winners announced

The winners of the 2021 National Book Prize were announced during a ceremony held at the Auberge de Castille, where National Book Council (NBC) executive chairperson Mark Camilleri commemorated the 50th anniversary since prize was first awarded in 1971.

“Despite the challenges which the previous year brought on the local book industry, the number of publications produced in 2020 was heartening,” Camileri said.

The winning titles have been selected by independent adjudication panels from a shortlist of 46 titles, published in the preceding year, across across eight competitive categories.

The National Book Prize for the Novels category was awarded to Gioele Galea for the book In-Nar Għandu Isem: Noti minn Paġna Intima (Horizons).

Other winners included Lara Calleja’s Kissirtu Kullimkien (Merlin Publishers) in the short-story category, Carmel Scicluna with the poetry collection L-Ambjent li Qeridna: Poeżiji (2017-2020) (Horizons), Immanuel Mifsud and Toni Sant for Jien - Noti - Jien: Ħsejjes u Stejjer (Klabb Kotba Maltin) in the Literary Non-Fiction category, and Paul Zahra for his translation of the final part of the first volume of Marcel Proust’s magnum opus, Mix-Xaqliba ta' Dar Swann – Ismijiet ta' Pajjiżi: L-Isem (self-published).

The National Book Prize for General Research was awarded to Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci for The Beheading of Ignez: Katabasis, Ezra Pound and Three Maltese Artists (Horizons) - the Prize for Biographical and Historiographic Research was awarded to Martin Micallef, editor of Crux Invicta: Il-Kurċifiss Mirakuluż u l-Kapuċċini f’Għawdex (Midsea Books). Midsea Books was awarded the Prize for Best Book Production for its work on The Addolorata Cemetery.

The Award for Best Emerging Author was given to Stephen Lughermo, author of young adult novels, books for children, and the short-story collections Ċelel Bla Ħitan (Horizons, 2020).

In recognition of a long standing career as an established poet and novelist, the Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Dr Rena Balzan – beyond her literary contributions, for several years Balzan was Associate Professor in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Malta.

The jury that served on the adjudication board for the 2021 National Book Prize was composed of Prof. William Zammit, Mario Ellul and Maria Giuliana Fenech for the categories of General Research, Biographical and Historiographic Research and Literary Non-Fiction, John Grech, Dr Stephen Bonanno and Rowna Baldacchino for the literary categories, and Malta Libraries CEO Cheryl Falzon for the classification. The NBC also extends its thanks to Dr Nicole Bugeja, Kristy Borg and Ruth Ancilleri, the adjudicators of the Premju Terramaxka for children and adolescents which was awarded during the opening night of the 2021 Malta Book Festival.