Stuck for a last-minute stocking filler? Wondering what book to gift the bibliophile in your family this Christmas? Heritage Malta’s fully-fledged publishing house produces a wide-ranging array of titles to suit every age and taste. From elegant and beautifully illustrated coffee table books to cookbooks, bibliographies and children’s story books, there’s something to interest the most jaded bookworm. Our souvenir guides feature sumptuously photographed landmarks, heritage trails, and curiosities, whilst our thoroughly researched monographs open a world onto lesser-known historical genres. Ghost books, workbooks, and graphic novels provide edutaining escapism for young minds. Meanwhile, our exhibition catalogues, collected papers, and ‘Tesserae’ Heritage Malta’s in-house academic journal offer discerning compendiums of the latest in Heritage inquiry.
We’ve selected five different publications from our online bookshop to entice you. So grab a coffee, settle down on your favourite armchair and be inspired!
‘Joseph Calleia, From Little Italy to Little Things’ is the title of Heritage Malta’s first foray into biographical publications. An account of the contribution made to the arts by Malta’s very own Hollywood export, this biography by Alan Fenech includes a timeline of the character actor’s life, a critical appreciation of his artistic capabilities and a thoroughly researched filmography replete with stills from each of his films and the respective hard-to-come by original film posters. A welcome gift for any local film buff, the hardback biography recounts many colourful anecdotes from Calleia’s adventurous life, not least that the actor had to allegedly decline the role of Don Vito Corleone in Coppola’s 1972 blockbuster ‘The Godfather’! Find out more HERE.
November Almond Bones, St Martin’s Cake and Pumpkin Pie are just a few of the traditional autumnal recipes in Heritage Malta’s latest seasonal cookbook. Helping to disseminate the traditional cuisine of Malta and Gozo to local and foreign residents, ‘ Flavours of Autumn’ is the second Heritage Malta recipe book in this series which also includes ‘Flavours of Spring’. Indulge the gourmand in your life with one or both cookbooks; an ideal gift for locals wishing to return to their roots and reawaken their childhood memories, besides saving money by cooking seasonally, and tourists to take back a taste of the Maltese Islands. The cookbooks also present a comprehensive introduction to local cuisine for those ex-pats and foreigners who have chosen to settle in Malta and would like to dig deeper into local traditions and customs. Click HERE to see more. Buy both Flavours of Autumn and Flavours of Spring with THIS limited time offer.
First built in Greece around the year 200BC, the pipe organ is the oldest complex form of machine incorporating musical art, engineering, and science into one instrument. Having evolved into sometimes colossal structures featuring hundreds of windpipes in all shapes and sizes, the Church Organ is capable of reproducing the sound of an entire orchestra. Over the years, many organs have been silenced by neglect, acute insect infestation and poor environmental conditions. ‘Celebrating Music’, published by Heritage Malta in April 2022, is a fascinating collection of contributions by different authors documenting the restoration, supported by the Social Causes Fund, of several Church Organs in the Maltese Islands. There has been a dearth of written material on the subject locally, and this monograph neatly fills that gap. It provides a historical background to each organ, an appraisal of the restoration process, modifying the living instruments to contemporary use, and a step-by-step depiction of the conservation process. ‘Celebrating Music, a selection of good causes’ is a thoughtful Christmas gift for any lover of music, engineering, conservation or ecclesiastical history. Click HERE to order.
‘Life with Isabella’ is the sixth instalment in a series of historical, activity storybooks aimed at children aged between seven and twelve. The colouring book which also features stickers, cut-out craft, puzzles and other games, follows the high jinks of Isabella, an irrepressibly cute Maltese Dog who is a resident of The Grand Master’s Magisterial Palace in Valletta. The choice of character is very apt as a few frescoes and paintings within the palace do actually feature the celebrated Maltese breed associated with the rule of the Knights of St John. Isabella the pooch begins life in a setting straight out of a Favray painting and ends up sitting for another famous portrait of Grand Master de Rohan. The fun activity book is inspired by the recently restored halls and State Rooms of the Grand Master’s Palace, which were previously inaccessible to the public. Purchase HERE. or else buy five discounted activity books in the ‘Life With’ series and get two pencil cases for free with this LINK
For those who would like to reacquaint themselves with 35 million years of history, represented in over 90 Museums and Sites, Heritage Malta’s brand new revamp of its ‘Museum and Sites, The Mediterranean in a Nutshell’ guide provides a concise 64-page overview of the highlights of each of its museums open to the public. The updated edition, previously published in 2019, is available in both soft and hardbound versions. In addition, it features revised archaeological time frames, a map of our Underwater Cultural Heritage Sites and interactive QR codes that link up to corresponding Heritage Malta website pages for further information. Click HERE to purchase.
Browse all our titles HERE We offer free delivery on purchases of or above €20.
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Treasure to Meet You | 16th December 2022