Mark Camilleri, since 2013 the executive chairperson of the National Book Council, certainly has a way with words.
His outspokenness on social media is legendary, not least for being one of the few, if not only, critics of the same Labour government he has actively supported in 2013 and 2017. He has been active inside the party through the Senglea branch as recently as the last Labour election. But, as one of the ‘critical-Left’ members of the Maltese political landscape, Camilleri has been unique in that, as a State-paid functionary hand-picked by former education minister Evarist Bartolo to head the National Book Council, he has been keen to criticise his own party-in-government’s failings on good governance and the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination.
The National Book Council (NBC) has announced the winners of the 2020 National Book Prize for books published in Malta in 2019. The Prize celebrates the highest achievements in literary and research publishing across nine competitive categories.
Owing to the extraordinary circumstances, the awards ceremony was held online, and for the very first time broadcast to the public on the National Book Council’s Facebook page and website. The streamed ceremony was hosted by veteran TV broadcaster John Demanuele.
In his opening speech, NBC executive chairperson Mark Camilleri noted that 2020 has been a difficult year for the book industry, particularly hard-hit by the economic crisis left in the wake of the ongoing global pandemic which followed a period of political turmoil.
National Book Prize 2020: Trevor Zahra conferred lifetime achievement award
Watch the ceremony for the National Book Prize here
18 December 2020, 8:06pm
The National Book Council yesterday announced the winners of the 2020 National Book Prize for books published in Malta in 2019. The Prize celebrates the highest achievements in literary and research publishing across nine competitive categories.
Owing to the extraordinary circumstances, the awards ceremony was held online, and for the very first time broadcast to the public on the National Book Council’s Facebook page and website. The streamed ceremony was hosted by veteran TV broadcaster John Demanuele.
In his opening speech, National Book Council (NBC) Executive Chairperson Mark Camilleri noted that 2020 has been a difficult year for the book industry, which was particularly hard-hit by the economic crisis left in the wake of the ongoing global pandemic which followed a period of political turmoil. Nonetheless, publishers a
Mark Camilleri, beholder of ‘a brown Marxist ass’, is Labour’s abrasive conscience
Mark Camilleri has a lot of sharp corners, but his social contribution far outstrips the inelegance of an online tiff with a criminal defence lawyer
17 December 2020, 9:08am
by Matthew Vella
It beggars belief as to how a foul-mouthed social media exchange could warrant instant resignation from the public service, when for years the Labour government resisted sacking the men caught operating a secret offshore network of private companies.
Mark Camilleri – self-confessed beholder of a “brown Marxist ass” – was installed by the Labour government of 2013 in the position of executive chair of the National Book Council after leading a successful anti-censorship campaign in the preceding years.