National Book Council set up in Gibraltar in response to suggestion by local author

The Council will support writers and publishers of Gibraltarian literature and promote the use of all languages spoken in Gibraltar in literary works

D. BARTLETT

GIBRALTAR.

Friday, 3 March 2023, 11:30

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The Gibraltar National Book Council was officially launched on Wednesday 1 March, much to the delight of local author Mark Sanchez who made the suggestion at last year's Literature Week.

The council will be a focal point for all Gibraltar's book and literature-related activity.

It will encourage writing and reading and will support writers, illustrators and publishers, working to promote Gibraltarian literature locally and internationally.

The new group will promote the use of all the languages of Gibraltar in literary works, including English and Spanish, Llanito in its own right, as well as other languages spoken locally, such as Arabic, Hebrew and Hindi.

The council is initially being chaired by Gibraltar's Minister of Culture, Professor John Cortes, and the other members are Davina Barbara (representing Gibraltar Cultural Services), Melissa Bosano, Giordano Durante Jonathan Pizarro, Mark Sanchez and Jaime Trinidad.

John Cortes described the launch of the council as a tremendously exciting development, and said the members are hugely enthusiastic about the project. Its initiatives and activities will be announced in the near future, he said, and all ideas are welcome.

The initiatives could include workshops, literary nights and readings, storytelling and competitions, among others.

Mark Sanchez agreed that this was an exciting step forward, and said that international interest in Gibraltarian writing has been increasing steadily over the years and «it is only fit and proper that there should be an organisation on the Rock which is dedicated to supporting and promoting all things literary».

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