Applications open for National Book Prize and Terramaxka Prize 2022

Applications have opened for the National Book Prize and the Terramaxka Prize 2022 for children and young adults published in 2021.

The National Book Prize is the highest literary prize assigned to authors, editors, translators, publishers and illustrators for books published in Malta during the preceding year.

Titles published in 2021 submitted to the prize within the various categories of the National Book Prize and Terramaxka Prize will be accepted according to each category’s eligibility criteria.

An independent adjudication board evaluates the National Book Prize for eligibility and longlisting, which will lead to the publication of a shortlist on 26 July and the awarding ceremony for both the National Book Prize and the Terramaxka Prize on 4 November 2022.

The National Book Prize is accepting applications in eight categories for books for adults: novel, short story, poetry, drama, literary non-fiction, translation, general research, and biographical and historiographic research.

The six categories of the Terramaxka Prize are: original works for children up to seven, eight to 12 and young adult literature, as well as works in Maltese translation for children up to seven, eight to 12 and young adult literature in Maltese Translation.

All categories are open to publications in the Maltese and English languages, with the exception of categories for translations into Maltese. The National Book Prize also awards special prizes for Best Book Production, Best Emergent Writer, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Poet Laureate to two-time recipients of the National Book Prize for Poetry.

Only one prize may be awarded per category. The National Book Prize awards publications that are judged to have high literary, cultural or academic merit. For a book to receive the prize in its respective category, it must exceed the 90% mark. Prizes in categories in which no shortlisted titles reach this threshold are not awarded since the required standard would not have been achieved.

The prize money awarded in each National Book Prize category, including the special Prizes for Best Emergent Writer, Lifetime Achievement Award, Poet Laureate and Best Book Production, is €4,000. The only exception is the Prize money for the translation categories of the Terramaxka Prize, which is €2,000.

The application form and evaluation criteria can be accessed at ktieb.org.mt/nationalbookprize/.

Completed applications, including the submission of the online application form and delivery of four copies of the books entered for consideration, should reach the National Book Council by not later than 28 March 2022 at noon - please note the shorter than usual application period. Late entries will not be accepted.

Book deliveries are received at the National Book Council offices Monday to Friday from 9am-4:30pm. For any queries, email Michael Mercieca at [email protected]