Maltese writer Immanuel Mifsud was one of the twelve European authors who was awarded the 2011 EU Prize for Literature (EUPL) during a gala ceremony held recently at the Le Plaza Hotel, Brussels. During the special event Immanuel Mifsud read a short excerpt in Maltese of his winning book Fl-Isem tal-Missier (u tal-Iben) and was afterwards presented with the award trophy jointly by Mr Bogdan Zdrojewski, Polish Minister for Culture and National Heritage, and Dr Mario Demarco, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and Tourism who travelled to Brussels for this special occasion.

Among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony were Ms Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Culture, Education, Multilingualism and Youth; Mr John Dalli, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy; and Ms Doris Pack, chair of the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee; in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, together with other public figures hailing from the cultural, literary and political fields.

In her opening speech, Commissioner Vassiliou stressed that the EUPL is unique in that it is the only award that manifests the full richness of Europe’s literary diversity and creativity. She also congratulated the twelve winners, saying that they all deserve all success to encounter as many readers as possible through their writing.

The EUPL is a joint venture by the European Commission, the European Booksellers’ Federation, the European Writers’ Council and the Federation of European Publishers.

In the meantime, Midsea Books, an imprint of Klabb Kotba Maltin, has published an English translation by Albert Gatt of Mifsud’s award winning book, and is out on sale at leading bookshops. Literary critic Adrian Grima has hailed In the Name of the Father (and of the Son) as an absolute first in Maltese literature and an extraordinary feat.

The award ceremony can be viewed at www.euprizeliterature.eu

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