€625,000 Government Investment To Provide €20 Book Vouchers For Over 31,000 Students Across Malta And Gozo

Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Clifton Grima, has launched the registration process for parents and guardians to apply for a €20 book voucher for every student in Malta and Gozo aged between 5 and 16 years (Year 1 – Year 11). The vouchers can be used during the National Book Festival in November, organised by the National Book Council.

With an investment of €625,000, covering over 31,000 students from government, church, and independent schools, this initiative aims to boost book sales over the five days of the festival, which will be held from Wednesday 5th to Sunday 9th November at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC), Ta’ Qali.

€625,000 Government Investment To Provide €20 Book Vouchers For Over 31,000 Students Across Malta And Gozo

Minister Grima said, “We are committed to placing the book at the heart of Maltese life. Through this initiative, we are not only helping our children build their own home libraries, but also supporting the local publishing industry which keeps literature and reading alive.”

Mark Camilleri, Chief Executive of the National Book Council, expressed gratitude to the Government for this unprecedented support and noted that it is the first time the initiative has been extended to all students across Malta and Gozo. He highlighted that the scheme presents a unique opportunity to attract new audiences to the National Book Festival and, more broadly, to Maltese literature. This, he said, is expected to lead to a substantial increase in sales for publishers and booksellers during the event.

The initiative aims to make it easier for students and their families to purchase books, thus encouraging reading, literacy, and a culture of home libraries, while simultaneously stimulating the local book market and supporting professionals in the publishing industry. It also provides families with a strong incentive to visit the National Book Festival Malta’s largest literary event, which gathers under one roof the majority of Maltese publishers and booksellers.

Registration for the vouchers opens on Saturday 11th October and closes on Sunday 9th November. Parents or guardians of younger children, as well as older students themselves, may register online. Students visiting the Festival with their school class do not need to register, as their vouchers will be distributed upon arrival at the MFCC.

Registration is available via the website vouchers.ktieb.org.mt, and vouchers will be sent by email. They may be redeemed either digitally or by presenting a printed copy. Each €20 voucher will be issued in four €5 parts.

Further information about the vouchers and the National Book Festival can be found on www.ktieb.org.mt or by calling 2713 1574.

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