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I read with interest Guzè Stagno contribution in MaltaToday of 21 November and must congratulate him for his achievement in the last edition of the literary awards. This achievement is certainly no point of arrival for him but should be considered as a point of departure.
On the other hand, I must disappoint him as by no means am I ‘clueless’ as to what I am doing and where am I heading with the publishing house I manage. Furthermore, without delving into the merits of each winner, who I must congratulate, I have to add that there is much more to be done to these awards for them to be credible.
Mr Stagno’s comments on local publishing unfortunately has exposed his lack of knowledge of the industry both locally and abroad, and are insulting to anyone who might try and consider his work for publication. I must also disappoint Mr Stagno in informing him, since it seems that he does know me, that I am still young and have been for the past ten years struggling to make publishing in Malta more interesting and varied. The local publishing industry is made up of a few individuals, less than the fingers on one hand, who have given up other lucrative businesses to devote themselves to a profession much less rewarding and that no one understands – that of a publisher. To reinforce my argument, Mr Stagno states that his publisher called it a day just after he states that his two novels published by the same publisher were considered by local standards as ‘best sellers’. This fact, coupled by the awards he received, would have been an encouragement for me rather than a motive to terminate operations!
Lashing it out at people like me does not help Mr Stagno’s plea in favour of young and budding authors. We have published, and continue to publish, classical Maltese novels by authors of the calibre of Guzè Muscat Azzopardi, Guzè Galea, and Guzè Aquilina, not for them to form part of the scholastic curriculum but for the enjoyment of everyone, as we believe that these books are evergreens. If one had to take the Stagno-pensandi why should the Brits still publish and enjoy Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Wilde and other favourites, just to make one international comparison. As a local full-time publisher – and I must insist on this, as my daily bread and butter depend on my profession – I am preoccupied as to what will the Maltese be reading in twenty years time, but I would rather devote my efforts to what are we giving them today or in a two years time, as this will definitely influence reading habits in the future.
I am also preoccupied on our creative literary standards and the lack of fresh authors and plots on the market. Unfortunately Mr Stagno has never approached me, unlike his fellow Karl Schembri and Immanuel Mifsud. The former had approached me with a manuscript and we had discussed briefly the reasons why I cannot publish it, the case of the latter is different. He approached me recently for the first time and I am pleased (and proud) to bring to Mr Stagno’s attention that we have just published a book by Immanuel Mifsud and hope that our collaboration will be much longer as I am a firm believer of his talents. Moreover I also wish to inform him that I have also just published two novels by other two new authors which he did not mention in his contribution.
The ailment of the local novel scenario is bigger than the egocentric contribution by Mr Stagno. It is high time that we all address it but than again who shall there be to discuss such a ‘frivolous’ matter, in a country where reading and publishing is considered as a luxury and not a necessity.
I augur Mr Stagno more success in his career as a writer.
Joseph Mizzi
Klabb Kotba Maltin
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