Book from every EU country marks first Day of European Authors

To mark the first-ever Day of European Authors, Malta Libraries has founded its EU Author Library, starting with 27 winners of the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) from every EU member state.

March 27 was chosen as the first Day of European Authors, a European Commission initiative led by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, aimed towards reconnecting younger generations with books and help them discover the diversity of European literature.

The EU Author Library was launched at a ceremony at the Central Public Library in Floriana in the presence of national librarian Cheryl Falzon, senior assistant librarian Margaret Callus and David Schembri, the language officer at the European Commission Representation in Valletta.

“This new celebration is a great opportunity for us to venture outside our normal habits and exploring the literary riches that are being produced by writers in other European countries. Public libraries are an ideal venue to spread this message, since they are a living example of making knowledge accessible to everyone,” Schembri said.

“By bringing EUPL prize winners to the shelves of public libraries in its care, in the original languages, as well as in bridge languages, Malta Libraries continues to expand its multicultural collection development ethos so that it continues to serve the ever-changing and growing communities in Malta,” Falzon said. 

Apart from the opening of the new library, the day was also marked in Malta by readings by authors Walid Nabhan, himself a EUPL laureate, and Rita Saliba in schools.

For this occasion, the European Commission Representation in Malta has also published commemorative bookmarks which will be distributed from library counters around Malta, with the text: ‘Skopri l-Ewropa ktieb ktieb: ibda l-vjaġġ mil-librerija’ (Discover Europe book by book: start your trip at the library).

The books are available to be borrowed by Malta Libraries members. To join, visit a public library counter or apply online.

Malta Libraries welcomes suggestions, collaborations and donations from embassies and communities on: customercare.cpl@gov.mt.

For more information about the Day of European Authors, click here.

Read more Child articles here.

The inaugural books in the EU Author Library are:

• Austria: Geistergeschicte by Laura Freudenthaler (lang: German)
• Belgium: Post Mortem by Peter Terrin (lang: English)
• Bulgaria: Thrown into Nature by Milen Ruskov (lang: English)
• Croatia: August After Midnight by Luka Bekavac (lang: English)
• Cyprus: The Experiment by Myrto Azina Chronides (lang: English)
• Czechia: ‘The Lake’ by Bianca Bellova (lang: English)
• Denmark: The Easiness and the Loneliness by Asta Olivia Nordenhof (lang: English)
• Estonia: Gogols disco by Paavo Matsin (lang: English)
• Finland: Things that fall from the sky by Selja Ahava (lang: English)
• France: Au grand lavoir by Sophie Daull (lang: French)
• Germany: Der traurige Gast by Matthias Nawrat (lang: German)
• Greece: God is my Witness by Makis Tsitas (lang: English)
• Hungary: Magnetyczna gora by Reka Man-Varhegyl (lang: Polish)
• Ireland: The Fire Starters by Jan Carson (lang: English)
• Italy: E Baboucar guidava la fila by Giovanni Dozzini (lang: Italian)
• Latvia: Freedom in the Nets by Osvalds Zebris (lang: English)
• Lithuania: Those Whom I Would Like to Meet Again by Giedra Radvilaviciute (lang: English)
• Luxembourg: Die Klasse von 77 by Francis Kirps (lang: German)
• Malta: Kissirtu kullimkien by Lara Calleja (lang: Maltese)
• Netherlands: The Dutch Maiden by Marente de Moor (lang: English)
• Poland: Waqt by Wislawa Szymborska (lang: Maltese)
• Portugal: The Shelf Life of Happiness by David Machado (lang: English)
• Romania: Life Begins on Friday by Ioana Parvulescu (lang: English)
• Slovakia: Toxo by Ivana Dobrakovova (lang: Slovak)
• Slovenia: In/Half by Jasmin B. Frelih (lang: English)
• Spain: When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Sola (lang: English)
• Sweden: The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg (lang: English)