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Aleks Farrugia disqualified by EU Literature Prize over SKS’s ‘Labour’ affiliation
SKS condemns disqualification of writer Aleks Farrugia by national jury of EU Prize for Literature
12 May 2021, 11:52am
by Matthew Vella
One of Malta’s main publishing houses has deplored a ban from the European Union Prize for Literature, for being owned by the Labour Party.
Labour’s SKS Publishers said it “condemned” its treatment by the EUPL after Malta Book Prize winner Aleks Farrugia (Għall-Glorja tal-Patrija) was disqualified from the EUPL shortlist.
The EUPL have claimed that the prize they award is “apolitical” and had to disqualify Farrugia because SKS is affiliated to a political party.
Three Tunisian Novels on Shortlist in EU Prize For Literature Published May 6th, 2021 - 04:33 GMT
Saber Mansouri (Twitter)
The winners of 2021 prize will be announced on May 18 during an online ceremony.
Three Tunisian novels are among 50 books from 14 countries on the short-list for the European Union Prize for Literature 2021 (EUPL) which is funded by the European Commission’s Creative Europe programme.
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According to the Creative Europe Desk in Tunisia, “for the first time, Tunisia and the Arabic language will be represented in this prestigious competition”, through the novel “Zindali, La Nuit du 14 janvier 2011” by Amin Al-Ghazzi (Zeineb editions).
MEP Alfred Sant has questioned regulations governing the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) and has called on the European Commission to explain why writers nominated for the prize are automatically disqualified if they have been published by a political party publishing house.
The rules governing the EUPL would, therefore, exclude Maltese writers whose works were published by PIN Publications and SKS Publishers due to their political affiliation.
In a parliamentary question, Sant, who heads the Labour Party s delegation in the European Parliament, stated that the condition excluding writers published by houses owned or affiliated to a political party does not feature in the rules published on the website of the European Union Prize for Literature.
EU Literature Prize: Sant asks why political party publishers are disqualified
Labour MEP and author and creator of Sensiela Kotba Soċjalisti asks Commission to clarify EU Literature Prize ban on politically-owned publishers
5 May 2021, 4:30pm
by David Lindsay
Labour MEP Alfred Sant is demanding answers from the European Commission as to why writers nominated for the European Union Prize for Literature are automatically disqualified from the accolade if they have been published by a political party publishing house.
Sant, himself a prolific author published by Labour Party-owned SKS Publishers, tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Commission pointing out that “the particular condition excluding writers published by houses owned or affiliated to a political party does not feature in the rules published on the website of the European Union Prize for Literature”.