Dusk Dialogues: Conversations on Bookbinding

Join us for conversations on bookbinding, featuring special guests Glen Calleja and Theresa Zammit Lupi. Together, they will share their hands-on experience in the craft of binding books, alongside insights into the study of historic bindings. 

Glen Calleja is a writer, editor, and founder of Kotba Calleja, an artisanal bookbinding press that focuses on the book as an object. Each piece is carefully created and sewn by hand, reflecting a commitment to craftsmanship and the life of the book. Joined by, Theresa Zammit Lupi a book and paper conservator with a keen eye for detail in book structures. Her work explores how these structures can reveal new meanings in the history of the book, with a particular passion for historic bindings and illuminated manuscripts. 

This talk aims to spark dialogue around bookbinding, from the making of books as crafted objects to the research that uncovers their historical and cultural significance. 

Check out the details below: 
Booking required as limited spaces available - send us an email on bookings@palazzofalson.com
Ticket Price: 5 euro non-refundable fee, free for members of Palazzo Falson (booking still required)
Date and Time: 28th April at 18:30 - Doors open at 18:00
Venue: Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum, Mdina

More info here: https://www.palazzofalson.com/news-events/dusk-dialogues

This event is in collaboration with Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.

Special thanks to Marsovin for supporting this series of events. Marsovin - The Culture of Wine

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Introducing our guest speaker – Glen Calleja

Glen Calleja is a writer, editor and founder of Kotba Calleja, a small press publisher based in Malta. Calleja is the winner of the 2025 National Book Prize for his poetry book SOMNVM, a poetic meditation on the seduction of sleep and eternal rest. His main interests are poetry as practice and the book as object.

His artistic work often involves alternative book structures, found content and performative elements. Calleja is also co-founder of Studio Solipsis, a cultural venue in Rabat (Malta) and co-founder and president of Fondazzjoni HELA which advocates for the Maltese literary sector.

During conversations on bookbinding, we will explore the craftsmanship in book bindings and the stories that they could uncover.

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Introducing our guest speaker – Theresa Zammit Lupi  

Theresa Zammit Lupi is a book and paper conservator. She holds a first degree in art history, and studied conservation in Florence, London and Harvard. Theresa has worked in several countries and published extensively about conservation and codicology. Since 2021 she is Head of Conservation at Graz University Library, Austria.  

In 2023 Theresa made a sensational discovery - she identified a papyrus fragment as being the oldest fragment in codex form. Her research interests include illuminated manuscripts, bookbinding structures and the early history of the book.

During conversations on bookbinding, we will explore the stories that are told in book bindings and the way we interpret and understand them today.

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