The manuscript Kristalli tas-Silġ by Kirsten Spiteri has been announced as the winner of the Novels for Youth Literary Contest 2024. The award ceremony, organised by the National Book Council (NBC) in collaboration with Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, was held at the National Library in Valletta on Friday, 10 January.
The event was hosted by Lon Kirkop, a previous winner of the contest in 2020 with his manuscript Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor: HappyVeganGirlJules. Kirkop’s novel was later published by Merlin Publishers.
Last year’s winner, Leanne Ellul, read an excerpt from her ongoing manuscript be;n il-kmiem and participated in a Q&A session with Kirkop. Ellul, a two-time winner of the award, highlighted the importance of the contest in fostering Maltese literature for youth audiences.
Spiteri received a trophy, a certificate, and a monetary prize of €1,000. Additionally, a €3,000 subsidy was granted to support the novel’s publication, contingent on Spiteri signing a contract with a publisher.
Submissions for next year’s competition will be accepted from January 21 to September 5. Application forms, competition criteria, and guidelines will be available on both organisations’ websites.