Who are we?
We are a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting education through comics and graphic novels as a form of literacy and entertainment. Our goal is to encourage a generational shift towards a comic-literate public in Malta, as well as a sustainable future in comics and future creator opportunities.
Comics have become an increasingly important medium for affecting community outlooks and initiatives, particularly with the rise of comic book media in film and pop culture. Thanks to past yearly events such as Malta Comic Con, which was spearheaded by fellow collaborator NGO Wicked Comics, and Free Comic Book Day – which GNLM and Wicked Comics introduced to Malta for the first time in 2015 – comics have garnered interest within a local niche community of comic enthusiasts, aspiring writers, and artists. Until fifteen years ago, such events were non-existent, and the only comic book content the Maltese were exposed to was sporadic local publications or foreign comics.
History of NGO
Graphic Novels Library Malta (GNLM) was founded in 2013 by two librarians who were also avid comic book fans. Ryan Scicluna and Luke Brincat initially started thinking of a comics library with the aim of using comics for educational purposes.
During their first year, they established a Facebook page dedicated to posting articles and resources that would be beneficial to anyone looking into comics for educational purposes. Seeing that the concept of a Graphic Novels Library was gaining traction in education circles, the original founding members decided to open the organization to others who shared similar ideas. After the first year, GNLM registered for NGO status, and the first council was founded in March 2014.
Purpose of GNLM
The purpose of GNLM is to provide more comic and graphic novel content within public libraries in Malta. After achieving this goal in 2016, GNLM, in collaboration with Malta Public Libraries, has also provided creative spaces and logistics for courses given by local artists, events such as Free Comic Book Day, and book launches such as Taħt in 2018 and An Introduction to Comic Book Art (2023) – an anthology of student comic books resulting from a three-month summer course given by various speakers. This collaboration between GNLM and Malta Public Library continues to promote artists, writers, and specialists in areas ranging from graphic novels, creative multimedia, the Malta Comic Con, and pop culture to create a safe space and approachable environment for anyone who wishes to learn and express their talents further. Ultimately, this space caters to dedicated creators who can participate in projects, which can come to fruition into published IP under the banner of GNLM and Malta Public Library.
GNLM Committee
Peter Magro – CEO
Eric Leone – Vice CEO
Ryan Scicluna – Treasurer
Jeremy Cassar – Secretary
Marouska Montebello – Senior Member
Jan Mangion – Social Media/Content Creator