Italian publishing house Bonfirraro Editore is presenting an event titled ‘Bridges of Culture in the Mediterranean – Malta and Italy United through Culture’, at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta, on November 7 at 7pm.
The event, being held as part in the Malta Book Festival, aims to foster dialogue among institutions, universities, publishers, authors and associations from both countries, building a concrete and lasting cultural bridge capable of generating new opportunities for collaboration, editorial exchange, shared projects and common visions.
Publisher Salvo Bonfirraro said: “This appointment represents a key milestone in our journey toward international openness and the promotion of Mediterranean culture. With Malta, we share a history of encounters, exchanges and words: building a cultural bridge between our countries means investing in the future of knowledge and dialogue.”
Speakers during the event will include Chris Cutajar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs of Malta, Norbert Bogeja, director of the Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta; writer and journalist Patricia Salomone, and translator Salvo Giuffrè.
The highlight will be the international preview of the novel La colpa del Camerata by Aleks Farrugia, who will be in conversation with Immanuel Mifsud, one of the most significant voices in contemporary Maltese literature. Both authors are being published in Italy for the first time by Bonfirraro Editore, a publishing house that has long been attentive to Mediterranean narratives and new European perspectives.
“This event reaffirms our vision: culture is a network of connections that transcends borders. Our collaboration with Maltese institutions and authors demonstrates how literature can serve as a shared language and a driver of cooperation among the peoples of the Mediterranean,” Alberto Bonfirraro, marketing director of the publishing house, said.
“And the encounter between the two cultural realities, Italian and Maltese, opens new perspectives for editorial cooperation. Bridges of Culture in the Mediterranean confirms our mission: to create authentic connections between authors, readers and institutions who share the same vision of a borderless culture,” Bonfirraro added.
The evening will feature a musical interlude on piano by Julia Miller and will conclude with a Sicilian aperitivo offered by Ristorante Marrobbio. Admission is free.
The event is sponsored by the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs of Malta, the Mediterranean Institute of the University of Malta, the National Book Council, the Rotary Club La Valletta, the Italo-Maltese Chamber of Commerce, and supported by Arts Council Malta, Gazzetta di Malta and Ristorante Marrobbio.