Tag: Books
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No big dreams allowed with Labour
One of the projects that was left pending after my exit from the National Book Council in August 2021 was the National Book Centre in Valletta. After years of lobbying, I had effectively acquired under the National Book Council’s remit one of the first palaces built in Valletta and we had also successfully fully restored…
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Ukraine’s Book Chamber raises funds to save archive-collection after Russian bombings burst pipes and cause flooding
Ukraine’s Ivan Fedorov Book Chamber, and the issuer of ISBN’s for the country risks losing its archive-collection that spans decades and up to 15 million books, after pipes in the building have been burst due to Russian bombings on energy and public infrastructure. The building ha also been damaged by nearby bomb-blasts with its windows…
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Damascus International Book Fair returns
The Damascus International Book Fair, also known as the Syrian National Book Fair has returned after a hiatus from 2020. This is the 57th edition of the fair. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa inaugurated the fair last Thursday February 5th. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan also visited the inauguration. Saudi…
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Teacher-author of history workbook confirms it is up to 14-years old
Following the publication of this story showing the recourses provided to children studying history in schools, the author of the workbook contacted me and said that the document is actually more than 14-years old and was never even intended to be an official resource uploaded on the Ministry’s website. Separately, Yosanne Vella, who was mentioned…
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When will Glenn Bedingfield write his book on Christian Borg?
I used to remember the Labour Party making a total hullabaloo about the PN’s and Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami’s links to drug dealers such Joseph Fenech (?eppi l-?afi) and Francesco De Assis Queiroz who were both given presidential pardons. Eddie Fenech Adami pardoned his previous bodyguard ?eppi l-?afi in exchange for revealing the mastermind…
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It’s nice seeing students demanding more book shops
Book shops have been a dying breed ever since Amazon and printed educational books were replaced with free online resources. Amazon has taken a massive market share in bookselling and online educational resources have replaced a lucrative source of income from bookshops resulting in an ever-growing number of bookshop closures. The bookshops that survive, most…
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Frankfurt Book Fair is an irrelevant waste of space
I am in the book business and I know Frankfurt Bookfair well: it’s an irrelevant waste of space. I traveled to the Frankfurt Book Fair many times, but I no longer do because I prefer to do business in London, instead. Unless you are a German publisher distributing or promoting German books in Germany, the…
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Norma Saliba’s first act as Head of the National Centre for Maltese: outright theft and pillage
Norma Saliba, the Head of the National Centre for the Maltese Language, was appointed in her new and fake role by corrupt Minister for Culture Owen Bonnici. According to The shift News, her first act as CEO is to steal money from the cultural budget to buy up to €30,000 in furniture for her office…
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Only dictators and criminals fear the book and press industries
I’m glad that Robert Abela is making it very clear to everyone how he thinks about books, the press and free speech. For a moment, Robert Abela tried to pretend he is supporting the free press by instituting a military council to control it whilst introducing the absolute right to privacy for everyone in Malta’s…
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Some of the books and authors that have influenced me
One of my readers asked me about the books that have inspired me throughout my life so I’m taking the opportunity to share my list with everyone. Currently, I’m also asking this question to the authors who have been published in the L-Antolo?ija tal-Letteratura Mqarba in a series of interviews with them which you can…
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Local publishing industry sees increased sales during Covid pandemic
According to the NSO, the local publishing industry has seen a significant increase in book sales during the Covid pandemic. From 2020 to 2021 an increase of 16% in total gross book sales with imported books decreasing. And from 2019 to 2021, total gross book sales increased by 28%. People in the industry have always…
