New project · 2026–27 · Malta and Gozo
Multilingual BookCrossing Malta
A network of free public bookshelves across Malta and Gozo where anyone can leave a book, find a book and follow its journey.
Malta is home to people from many countries, many of whom read physical books in their own languages. Multilingual BookCrossing Malta brings Greek, Norwegian, Japanese, Russian, Filipino, Spanish and many other languages together on the same shelf, so books keep their knowledge unchanged and readers can explore other cultures through their original language.
Anyone can leave a book at one of its free public bookshelves, find a book there and follow its journey across the islands. The project supports cultural integration and community-building; literacy, language learning and access to books in a reader’s mother tongue; sustainability and reuse; and Malta’s reputation as an open, multicultural country.
The aims are to collect 500 to 1,000 books in ten or more languages, to register, label and QR-code every book, and to set up 10 to 20 release points across Malta and Gozo.
The proposed timeline starts in September with partnerships — national libraries, the airport, Mater Dei and local consuls — and with setting up book collection and designing the labels and QR codes. The first release stations and a publicity campaign are planned for December. From January the network is to expand and gather stories and figures, and an impact report is planned for March.
Partners can host a release point in an office, library, consulate, hotel or at the airport; sponsor the website, the QR system or the printing; contribute books; support or co-host a quarterly release event; or help spread the word. Every partner is publicly credited, and partners joining now become founding partners of Malta’s first multilingual BookCrossing network.