The Maltese Bestiary
The Maltese Bestiary: An illustrated guide to the mythical flora and fauna of the Maltese Islands is a 2014 compendium of legendary beasts from Maltese folklore. It showcases "supernatural entities, frightening creatures, magical plants, ancient gods and a host of other legendary beings"[1] all from the islands of Malta and Gozo. Stephan D. Mifsud is both the author and the illustrator of the book.
 First edition | |
| Author | Stephan D. Mifsud |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | mythology |
| Publisher | Merlin Publishers |
Publication date | 11 Nov. 2014 |
| Pages | 144 |
Background
Mifsud is a biologist with a long-time interest in fantasy creatures. In 2011, he began work on The Maltese Bestiary because he felt that Malta was lacking of a concise folklore encyclopedia. He chose to publish the book in English instead of Maltese to reach a wider audience as he believed that non-Maltese people and non-Maltese speakers would still have an interest in Maltese folklore. He also hoped to reach a wider audience to help Maltese folklore become more widely known.[2] Much of his research was done by speaking to older relatives and by reading older books. Mifsud has cited Fr. Emanuel Magri as being a major source of his research.[2]
Awards
The book won the National Book Council's National Book Prize (Maltese: Premju Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb) for Best Book Production in 2015.[3]