Impenji 2008

Għażiża Noora – Tliet ġimgħat ta’ bumbardament ta’ Gaża Għażiża Noora / Dear Noora hija l-ittra li ktibt lill-ħabiba tiegħi Noora fil-Palestina meta beda l-bumbardament bla ħniena ta’ Gaża min-naħa tal-militar tal-Iżrael. Il-verżjoni bl-Ingliż ġiet ippubblikata, flimkien ma’ poeżija ta’ Antoine Cassar, minn Babelmed. Din hija parti mit-tweġiba ta’ Noora: “What is happening in Gaza is paralyzing us in Ramallah. I find myself glued to the TV crying and waiting for the world to wake up or for the Arab leaders to step up for once just once. I think the only way that will happen if hell freezes and pigs fly through it! So it is up to you and me my friend to restore the little dignity we humans have left in this unjust world.”

Adrian Grima u Riħ min-Nofsinhar fuq Reporter, TVM (Diċembru) Nhar it-Tlieta, 30 ta’ Diċembru, 2008, kont il-mistieden ta’ Saviour Balzan fil-programm Reporter li jixxandar fuq l-istazzjon nazzjonali tat-televiżjoni, TVM. Waqt l-intervista, tkelimt dwar il-ktieb Riħ min-Nofsinhar li ħriġna flimkien Immanuel Mifsud u jien, bil-għajnuna ta’ kontributuri oħrajn. ↑ fuq

Senduq Kuluri Aħmar it-Tieni Il-ktieb Senduq Kuluri Aħmar rebaħ it-tieni post fil-kategorija għall-kotba għat-tfal fil-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2008 għal kotba li ħarġu fl-2007. F’dan il-ktieb hemm, fost l-oħrajn, żewġ stejjer tiegħi: “Marlene qed Ittir” u “Lilek Min Kellmek, Sieħbi?” ↑ fuq

Jum Dinji dwar it-Tibdil tal-Klima 6 ta’ Diċembru 2008 Friends of the Earth Malta Il-poeżija ta’ Adrian Grima, “Tal-Ġelati, jew it-Tropikalizzazzjoni tal-Mediterran,” mill-ktieb Riħ min-Nofsinhar se tinqara minn Immanuel Mifsud waqt lejla ta’ attivitijiet organizzati minn Friends of the Earth Malta għall-Jum Dinji dwar it-Tibdil tal-Klima nhar is-Sibt 6 ta’ Diċembru mill-5.00pm sat-8.30pm fil-Pjazza tal-Palazz (Pjazza San Ġorġ), Il-Belt Valletta. Dan il-jum ilu jiġi ċċelebrat mill-2005 waqt li jkunu għaddejjin il-laqgħat tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti fuq it-tibdil tal-klima. Madwar id-dinja n-nies jiltaqgħu biex iħeġġu lill-gvernijiet biex jieħdu azzjoni fuq il-klima u fuq il-ġustizzja soċjali dwar il-klima. Din is-sena l-laqgħat uffiċjali qegħdin isiru f’Poznan, il-Polonja. Dakinhar tal-attivitajiet Friends of the Earth Malta se tippreżenta l-pożizzjoni tagħha dwar it-tibdil fil-klima waqt konferenza stampa li se ssir fil-5.00pm. Immanuel Mifsud se jaqra poeżiji mill-ktieb ġdid Riħ min-Nofsinhar, ġabra ta’ poeżiji miktubin minnu u minn Adrian Grima. Vince Fabri se jdoqq kanzunetti dwar it-tibdil fil-klima u se jkanta waħda mill-poeżiji ta’ Immanuel Mifsud mill-ktieb Riħ min-Nofsinhar u l-pubbliku se jkun mistieden ikanta miegħu. Matul il-lejla se jintwerew ukoll films qosra maħruġin minn gruppi Ewropej tal-Friends of the Earth. L-organizzaturi jistiednu lill-għaqdiet mhux governattivi sabiex jingħaqdu magħhom dak in-nhar biex jgħidu kelmtejn fuq it-tibdil fil-klima u x’soluzzjonijiet jipproponu. Il-cast ta’ High School Musical Malta se jieħu sehem f’din l-attivit’ bi żfin u kant live. Se jkantaw “We’re all in this together,” silta mill-musical li se jippreżentaw fl-MCC waqt l-istaġun tal-Milied. Huma ġentilment aċċettaw li jagħtu awtografi lill-fans tagħhom dak in-nhar wara l-eżibizzjoni. Dawk li jattendu jistgħu wkoll jiffirmaw petizzjoni biex nitolbu għal liġi tal-klima għal Malta. Għal aktar informazzjoni iktbu lil info@foemalta.org. ↑ fuq

“Qari, Kitba u Kittieba” fil-Kulleġġ Stella Maris Nhar it-Tlieta 25 ta’ Novembru, flimkien mal- kittieba Rita Saliba, David Agius Muscat u Tervor Żahra li x-xogħol tagħhom ukoll jidher fil-ktieb Senduq Kuluri Vjola, ħadt sehem f’għodwa letterarja għall-istudenti tar-raba’ sena tal-primarja tal-Kulleġġ Stella Maris fil-Ġżira. Fil-laqgħat tiegħi mal-istudenti tkellimt magħhom dwar il-qari u l-kotba u kollha kemm aħna kellna l-opportunit’ nitkellmu ftit dwar dak li nħobbu naqraw. Wara qrajtilhom xi poeżiji u stejjer tiegħi għat-tfal li għadhom ma ġewx ippubblikati. Dawn kienu l-poeżiji “Minuta Nifs,” “Gowler u Qaddis” u “Nagħmel Bih Li Rrid,” u l-istejjer “Ħarbet Tigra” u “Ħija r-Re.” Kienet għodwa mill-isbaħ li fiha t-tfal rreaġixxew minnufih għall-kitbiet li qrajtilhom, u għalhekk kienet opportunit’ importanti għalija biex nipprova dan ix-xogħol ġdid u nara jekk “jaħdimx.” F’din l-għodwa t-tfal ukoll kellhom l-opportunit’ jiktbu poeżija jew storja u wħud minnhom qrawha. Barra minn hekk, ħloqt attivit’ li fiha xi ġranet qabel ma ltaqgħu magħna t-tfal, immexxjin mill-għalliema tagħhom, Ms. Roberta, Ms. Elizabeth u Mr. Ian, qraw profili mhux tas-soltu tal-kittieba u b’hekk ħejjew ruħhom għaż-żjara tagħna. ↑ fuq

Adrian Grima reads in Paris Olivia Nicosia and Adrian Grima (New Morning Jazz Club, Paris) Adrian Grima was recently invited to Paris to read at different venues during the European Voices poetry festival organized by the Circolo dei Viaggiatori nel Tempo. The invitation to Dr. Grima came after his participation in the Voix de la M’diterran’e poetry festival held in the southern French town of Lod’ve in July 2008. This year the European Voices festival is being held in Vienna, Paris, Berlin and Helsinki. Adrian Grima’s first reading in Paris was on Wednesday, 19th November at the Caf’ Th”tre La Comedia in rue St. Martin. Some of the other poets who read their work were John Deane (Ireland), Jean Portante (Luxembourg), Kornelijus Platelis (Lithuania), Eva Cox (Belgium), and Jacques Darras (France). Claudio Pozzani (Italy), who is also the festival organizer, and Cai Tianxin (China). Adrian Grima read his poems ‘Kieku Kelli Lanċa Żgħira’ and ‘Illejla, Jekk Trid’ in Maltese. The actress Olivia Nicosia read the French version one of these poems, ‘Ce soir, si tu veux,’ which was translated, like all of his poems read in Paris, by the Paris-based Maltese translator and cultural organizer, Elizabeth Grech. Adrian Grima then read on Friday, 21st November at the Romanian cultural institute, the Institut Roumain, in rue de l’Exposition, together with Patrick Dubost (France), Ioana Craciunescu (Romania), and Sylvestre Clancier (France). Together with Olivia Nicosia he presented ‘Għajnejk l-Alġiers,’ Distanzi,’ ‘Ansjet’ Oħra,’ ‘Ħallejt Ġenbejk fuq Ruħi,’ The big night of the festival was held at the famous New Morning jazz bar in Rue des Petites Ecuries on Sunday, 23rd November, with the participation of the excellent Maya Quartet, a jazz group from Genoa in Italy which was invited especially for this closing night of the Festival. The evening included performances and readings by Serge Pey (France), the slammer Bas Bottcher (Germany), Jean Portante (Luxembourg), Adrian Grima, Jacques Darras (France), Andr’ Velter (France), Marc Delouze (France), and Mauro Macario (Italie). Adrian Grima and Olivia Nicosia read Tes yeux Alger,’ ‘U l-Partiti Min Jiffinanzjahom?’ in both languages, and ‘Bħal Vuċi Oħra Ġo Dil-Konfużjoni,’ also in both languages. The Ambassador of Malta to France, H. E. Dr. Vicki Ann Cremona, the Chief Executive of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and Elizabeth Grech were present for Adrian Grima’s reading on the final night of the Festival. ↑ fuq

Pubblikazzjoni tal-ktieb Ħożż fl-Ilma – Il-Kotba, il-Qari u l-Baħar Nhar l-Erbgħa, 12 ta’ Novembru, Edizzjoni Skarta ppubblikat id-diskors ta’ Adrian Grima li sar fil-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb bl-isem ta’ Ħożż fl-Ilma. Il-Kotba, il-Qari u l-Baħar. Il-ktieb, li fih 48 faċċata u għandu qoxra tal-artist Pierre Portelli (www.pierreportelli.com), jinbiegħ ‘5 u jista’ jinkiseb mingħand adrian@maltaforum.org jew mill-ħwienet tal-kotba ewlenin (distribuzzjoni Sierra Books). L-istatistika titkellem ċar: il-Maltin huma l-inqas nies li jaqraw fl-Unjoni Ewropea, u l-mediterranji jaqraw inqas min-nordiċi. Għalhekk hemm min iqis il-klima bħala l-akbar għadu tal-qari f’Malta. Imma kieku ma kellniex sema ċelesti u baħar blu konna naqraw iżjed? Aħna naqraw ftit u l-klima tkompli tneħħilna l-aptit: x’suppost nagħmlu? Inħallu l-baħar iħabbat? Nittantaw ix-xemx għaddejja? Nieħdu ktieb magħna ħdejn il-baħar kif irid il-Kunsill tal-Ktieb? U jekk jixxarrab, jew jitbewwaq? Tista’ toħloq kultura ta’ qari jew ‘kollox tort tal-edukazzjoni’ u d-destin tagħna diġ’ miktub, qisu ktieb? Pajjiżi oħra x’qed jagħmlu? Il-mezzi tax-xandir tagħhom jippromwovu l-kotba? It-teknoloġija u l-internet itellfu biss? Fi Franza l-qari fost il-kbar qed jiżdied, u miegħu x-xiri u s-self tal-kotba mil-libreriji. Imma l-Franċiżi kburin li jħobbu l-kotba. Aħna ma nħobbuhomx? Trabbejna f’kultura li tibża’ mill-kotba, minn dak li hu differenti u ġdid? Trabbejna f’kultura li flok tisfida, tiddefendi l-ordni stabbilit? ↑ fuq

Artiklu dwar il-Qari f’Malta ppubblikat fil-katalgu tal-Fiera tal-Ktieb L-artiklu ta’ Dr. Adrian Grima, “Ħożż fl-Ilma. Il-Kotba, il-Qari u l-Baħar,” ġie ppubblikat fil-katalgu uffiċjali tal-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2008. Il-katalgu jinkludi wkoll studji ta’ Dr. Marco Galea u Dr. William Zammit. Din hija silta mill-artiklu ta’ Adrian Grima: “Ir-rapport speċjali tal-Ewrobarometru ppubblikat fl-2007 juri li medja ta’ 71% fil-mija tan-nies fis-27 pajjiż tal-UE qraw mill-inqas ktieb wieħed f’sena ‘ it-tieni l-iktar attivit’ kulturali popolari fost in-nies kollha ‘ u iktar minn nofs dawk l-Ewropej li qraw imqar ktieb wieħed f’sena, jiġifieri 37% tal-kampjun kollu, qraw iktar minn 5 kotba f’sena. F’Malta 19% biss qalu li qraw iktar minn ħames kotba f’sena, nofs il-medja Ewropea; 10% qalu li qraw bejn tlieta u ħames kotba, waqt li 16% qalu li qraw mhux iżjed minn żewġ kotba. Statistika interessanti oħra dwar il-qari u l-kotba marbuta mal-libreriji tikkonferma r-riżultati xejn sbieħ tal-Maltin. L-istudju tal-2007 juri li medja ta’ 35% tal-Ewropej żaru librerija pubblika mill-inqas darba u 16% marru iktar minn ħames darbiet. F’Malta 75% tan-nies ma resqux lejn librerija pubblika. 24% marru mill-inqas darba; fosthom kien hemm 9% li marru iktar minn ħames darbiet.” Aqra l-artiklu sħiħ. ↑ fuq

“Ħożż fl-Ilma. Il-Kotba, il-Qari u l-Baħar” fil-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb Qarrej fil-belt Rumana ta’ Tipaża, l-Alġerija, fuq ix-xatt tal-baħar Mediterran (meħud minn Adrian Grima) Nhar l-Erbgħa, 12 ta’ Novembru, fis-7.00pm, il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb jistieden lill-pubbliku inġenerali għall-ewwel diskors waqt il-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb li din is-sena se jsir minn Dr. Adrian Grima, kittieb, attivist kulturali u lecturer tal-letteratura fid-Dipartiment tal-Malti tal-Universit’. Jintwerew ukoll interventi ffilmjati apposta ta’ A’alsteinn ‘sberg Sigur’sson, kittieb u pubblikatur mill-Iżlanda, Alexandra B’chler, direttriċi ta’ Literature Across Frontiers, u Hassan el Ouazzani mid-Dipartiment għall-Promozzjoni tal-Kotba fil-Marokk. It-taħdita jisimha Ħożż fl-Ilma il-kotba, il-qari u l-baħar L-istatistika titkellem ċar: il-Maltin huma l-inqas nies li jaqraw fl-Unjoni Ewropea, u l-mediterranji jaqraw inqas min-nordiċi. Għalhekk hemm min iqis il-klima bħala l-akbar għadu tal-qari f’Malta. Imma kieku ma kellniex sema ċelesti u baħar blu konna naqraw iżjed? Aħna naqraw ftit u l-klima tkompli tneħħilna l-aptit: x’suppost nagħmlu? Inħallu l-baħar iħabbat? Nittantaw ix-xemx għaddejja? Nieħdu ktieb magħna ħdejn il-baħar kif irid il-Kunsill tal-Ktieb? U jekk jixxarrab, jew jitbewwaq? Tista’ toħloq kultura ta’ qari jew ‘kollox tort tal-edukazzjoni’ u d-destin tagħna diġ’ miktub, qisu ktieb? Pajjiżi oħra x’qed jagħmlu? Il-mezzi tax-xandir tagħhom jippromwovu l-kotba? It-teknoloġija u l-internet itellfu biss? Fi Franza l-qari fost il-kbar qed jiżdied, u miegħu x-xiri u s-self tal-kotba mil-libreriji. Imma l-Franċiżi kburin li jħobbu l-kotba. Aħna ma nħobbuhomx? Trabbejna f’kultura li tibża’ mill-kotba, minn dak li hu differenti u ġdid? Trabbejna f’kultura li flok tisfida, tiddefendi l-ordni stabbilit? Kulħadd huwa mistieden għal din it-taħdita li se ssir f’Sala Temi Zammit ta’ Dar il-Mediterran fil-Belt Valletta fejn qed issir il-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb. Id-dħul huwa b’xejn. www.ktieb.org.mt ↑ fuq

Tnedija ta’ Riħ min-Nofsinhar fil-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb 2008 – Is-Sibt, 15 ta’ Novembru, 6.30pm

Nhar is-Sibt, 15 ta’ Novembru, fis-6.30pm fil-Fiera Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb, Dar il-Mediterran, il-Belt Valletta Tnedija tal-ktieb ta’ poeżiji Riħ min-Nofsinhar it-tibdil fil-klima skont Immanuel Mifsud u Adrian Grima Interventi dwar il-ktieb waqt it-tnedija tal-Ministru George Pullicino, l-Onor. Leo Brincat u l-Perit Carmel Cacopardo Interventi oħrajn minn Siem Gabir, Mario Cardona u Annalise Falzon Tmexxi Anna Zammit Il-ktieb fih kummenti ta’ Joseph Sciberras u Joe Galea (bdiewa mill-Koperattiva Rurali Manikata), Mario Cardona (kittieb u edukatur), Annalise Falzon (ambjentalista), Kurt Sansone (editur tal-gazzetta Illum), Ralph Cassar (politiku), Nathalie Grima (mill-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust), Christine Borg (mill-Malta Breastfeeding Foundation), u Angele Deguara (soċjologa). Edizzjoni SKARTA – www.skarta.org Distribuzzjoni: Sierra Book Distributors – www.sierra-books.com OLA OLA OLA Immanuel Mifsud Ma tridx għerf, ma tridx wisq skola Sabiex tkejjel l-ultra-vjola, Sabiex tisma’ t-tfal bis-sogħla Jew biex tħoss il-baħar jogħla. minn ENERĠIJA NADIFA Adrian Grima Is-soluzzjoni l-qilla nukleari. Ġa qed tinbet madwarna: Franza, l-Italja, ‘l-Libja… u tista’ tixgħel id-desktop u l-laptop f’daqqa, u f’Jannar tiġri bil-flokk taċ-ċingi u tiksaħ f’Awwissu… “F’dan il-ktieb ikompli proċess li naħseb m’ilux wisq li beda – il-ftuħ tal-poeżija Maltija lejn l-artijiet u fuq kollox lejn il-popli tal-bqija tad-dinja (u mhux biss tal-Mediterran). Mingħajr ma jneħħu l-attenzjoni tagħhom minn fuq dak li qed jiġri u dak li jeħtieġ li jingħad rigward l-ambjent fuq il-Blata, Adrian Grima u Immanuel Mifsud iħarsu lejn postijiet oħra u jisimgħu l-ilmenti tal-popolazzjonijiet tagħhom, u jsiru ilħna tal-kuxjenza planetarja li tant hemm bżonn li nrabbu ma’ l-erba’ massi kontinentali u s-sebat ibħra ta’ din l-imsejkna dinja.” Antoine Cassar poeta

↑ fuq

A Mediterranean That Does Not Exist – Presentation, ALF Malta Network ↑ fuq

Culture Action Europe 2008, Marseilles Literature Across Frontiers invited Dr. Adrian Grima, coordinator of Inizjamed, to participate in the 2008 conference of Culture Action Europe (formerly the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage) entitled Sc’ne Ouverte ‘ European Cultural Action across Borders which took place in Marseilles from the 23rd to 25th October 2008. Literature Across Frontiers was also represented by its director, Alexandra B’chler, who is also a board member of Culture Action Europe. Hosted and supported by key French cultural and political institutions, the two days of debates and networking once again provided cultural actors from across Europe with a privileged meeting place to explore key issues on the European cultural agenda. The two main topics of debate were: the role of culture in the European Union’s external affairs and the engagement of civil society actors in European cultural policy making. One of the areas which was given particular attention was the Mediterranean, but many cultural activists felt that there were too few representatives from the non-EU member states of the region to be able to deal with the cultural issues facing the region adequately. Through these two themes, the conference offered cultural actors the opportunity to access key European cultural debates, to formulate their advocacy demands towards European policy makers and to explore ways to strengthen their political representation at European level. The website of the conference at includes some of the speeches made and documents prepared in advance, amongst which ‘The place of culture and the role of cultural players in Euro-Med relations‘ and ‘Intercultural Dialogue and the Platform for Intercultural Europe.’ First from left is Elizabeth Grech of the Fondation Ren’ Seydoux; third is Adrian Grima; and fourth is Alessandro Stillo, secretary general of BJCEM, the Association of the Biennial of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterrranean The conference presented a number of keynote speeches and, on Saturday, 25th October, a consultation process featuring four different workshops about ‘Cultural cooperation and cultural actions ‘ the reality of the practice and the needs of the sector,’ and flash info sessions. The workshops dealt with Production and access to creativity, Audience development, Learning and education, and The interface between the artistic creation and the cultural industries. The Flash info sessions dealt with Understanding European cultural action, Cultural cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region, The European Agenda for Culture (including the Open Method of Coordination and the structured dialogue), and Marseille Provence 2013. Adrian Grima participated actively in the workshop on ‘Production and Access to creativity,’ drawing mainly on the experience of Inizjamed and Literature Across Frontiers, and attended the flash info session on Cultural cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean region. ↑ fuq

Daħla għal Taħt iċ-Ċirasa ta’ John P. Portelli Jien ktibt id-daħla għat-tieni ktieb ta’ poeżiji tal-professur tal-edukazzjoni Malti-Kanadiż, John P. Portelli li jismu Taħt iċ-Ċirasa. Il-ktieb ħareġ f’Settembru ta’ din is-sena u tnieda waqt lejla apposta li saret f’Toronta, il-Kanada, fil-preżenza tal-Priministru ta’ Malta. Il-qoxra hija xogħol l-artist Pierre Portelli. Din hija silta mid-daħla tiegħi li jisimha “Siktet iċ-Ċedru”: “F’Taħt iċ-Ċirasa ta’ John Portelli hemm ukoll ir-rabja kontra dinja li fiha l-bnedmin jabbużaw mill-poter tagħhom, kemm dak ekonomiku kif ukoll dak politiku, fis-sens dejjaq u wiesa’ tal-kelma, biex jibnu l-imperi tagħhom fuq il-fdalijiet li jħalli t-tifrik ta’ ħaddieħor. F”Nagħdab’ u xogħlijiet oħrajn, il-poeta jeħodha qatta bla ħabel kontra n-neoliberiżmu: kontra r-regoli li jfasslu d-diriġenti sinjuruni tal-kumpanniji l-kbar biex iħarsu l-interessi tagħhom kontra dawk li ma jifilħux jiqfulhom; kontra l-ipokreziji tal-mexxejja li jippridkaw mod u fil-ħajja pubblika u privata tagħhom jagħmlu mod ieħor; kontra ‘l-individwaliżmu esaġerat’ li jinkoraġġixxi lil dawk li jifilħu biex iħawlu huma u jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu mill-ġid komuni; kontra l-individwi u l-establishment politiku u ekonomiku li ħsiebhom biex iberrdu u jitfu l-għadab ta’ dawk kollha li jispiċċaw minn taħt f’sistema inġusta; kontra l-vanġelu tal-konsum u l-illużjoni li l-kapitaliżmu joffri libert’ u għażla ħielsa. John Portelli jagħdab kontra dan kollu mhux biss bil-passjoni ta’ l-intellettwali li ma jaħsilx idejh mir-responsabbiltajiet li għandu lejn uliedu u lejn is-soċjet’ inġenerali imma anki bil-konvinzjoni infurmata u ffurmata ta’ filosfu u edukatur li l-għadab biss, dak li jifqa’ ‘l-għata / marida’ (‘Benninni’), dak li jheżżeż ‘ir-regħba / setgħana / li toħnoq / kull ħjiel / ta’ ħajja / ferħana’ (‘Ix-Xita’), għandu l-ħila jbiddel l-istatus quo u jsewwi l-inġustizzji individwali u strutturali. In-neoliberiżmu jipponta fuq il-kontroll tal-kollettiv permezz ta’ l-individwu (‘hawn ħadd ma jista’ għalina,’ ‘Dak in-Nhar’), fuq il-kontroll tal-ħsibijiet, ix-xewqat u l-istinti tiegħu, u għaldaqstant jibża’ li l-manipulazzjoni tiegħu tista’ taħrablu minn idejh u tittrasforma ruħha f’għadab kontra s-sistema. In-neoliberiżmu jrid il-kwiet; l-għadab (dak li ma jinxtarax, la bil-flus u lanqas biċ-ċejċa tal-poter) huwa l-għadu ewlieni tiegħu għax iqalleb l-ilma qiegħed u l-ftit li jkunu fuq jissugraw li jispiċċaw isfel, bħall-maġġoranza.” ↑ fuq

‘ la m’moire de Mahmoud Darwich La Maison de la po’sie au Maroc organise un grand ‘v’nement ‘ la m’moire du po’te palestinien Mahmoud Darwich, et ce le 24 octobre ‘ Rabat au Maroc. Je vous invite, si vous permettez, d’adresser un petit mot (en moins de 4 lignes,..) ‘ la m’moire du po’te. Le mot sera lu par un po’te marocain et publi’ dans le catalogue de l”v’nement. He is the maker of words who refuses to let his words become honey, who faces chains and earthquakes to be true to his nature, and to his call. But he is also the dispossessed Palestinian who refuses to abandon the moon, and the embattled olive tree, at the far edge of his words. Adrian Grima October, Malta ↑ fuq

More than a century on, is Dun Karm still relevant? Lisa Gwen Baldacchino, The Times (Tuesday, 21st October 2008) In October I was interviewed by journalist Lisa Gwen Baldacchino of The Times about Dun Karm Psaila and his legacy. Read the published article in the pdf format here. The click this link to The Times website. My full answers to the journalist’s questions appear here. Having written the National Anthem, Dun Karm is therefore somewhat of a ‘symbol’ of national identity. Is this still applicable today? In his poetry Dun Karm gives us a very clear picture of the Maltese national identity as he sees it. He is very sure of himself and his vision for Malta and he communicates it with some beautiful poetry. Even when he is critical of the ways of the Maltese, as in ‘Lil Malta ta’ Llum u ta’ Għada,’ his criticism actually confirms his rigid idea of what being Maltese is, or should be. Many people probably find this clear and unambiguous vision both easy to understand and reassuring. He identifies the Maltese identity with being (staunchly) Catholic, conservative, rather inward looking, Maltese-speaking, with a preference for words of Arabic origin (although he was also open to and appreciative of other languages), embracing rural life and rejecting the ‘impurities’ of the city where people of different cultures and sets of values of meet. I don’t know of any study that could confirm or dispute this, but I think that to many people Dun Karm is a symbol of national identity. This is probably because in schools, in the Church and in politics, but also in popular literature and song, his conservative vision of the world somehow seems authentic, the ‘real’ thing ‘ it sounds like ‘back to basics’ language to certain people, even though they may acknowledge that it’s necessarily pass’. We know that identity is a much more complex and dynamic concept. And Dun Karm’s idea of ‘being Maltese’ is certainly not mine. But he has created a neat worldview, a way of looking at ourselves and the world which people can continue to identify with in an increasingly complex (and sometimes superficial) world. Generations of secondary school students shape their idea of Malta and its history on ‘Il-Għanja tar-Rebħa.’ If that poem (and any poem) is not read critically, as one person’s idea of Malta that is the result of a people’s particular moment in history, then students may get the impression that that is the way, the only way to unravel the complex issues of Maltese identity. Do you think Dun Karm and the National Anthem are still relevant? Or perhaps is it time to attach our national identity to another set of teachings? Our idea of what it is to be Maltese needs a total overhaul. The whole idea of cultural identity has to problematized because otherwise we run the risk of marinating in xenophobia and lack of understanding. We also need to have a much detail understanding of our fascinating history, putting aside our prejudices and letting history talk to us and engage with our certainties and our misconceptions. Maltese emigration in the 19^th and 20^th century would be a great place to start. It’s about the resilience of thousands of Maltese and Gozitan common people who were forced to leave to survive, but it’s also about the difficult conditions at home that forced them to leave. Dun Karm and his ‘Innu Malti,’ like any poet and any poem, is a product of its time. You can never read them uncritically, with a closed mind. Our challenge today is to read Dun Karm, and other poets, with the sensibilities of the 21^st century, which include seeing them in their historical context and understanding that historical context. All national anthems are products of their time Dun Karm’s poetry has had a significant effect on the work of other Maltese poets. I think he wrote beautifully, even though I don’t share his worldview ‘ and many writers would agree with me that he wrote very well, and was well-read. He influenced both the romantic poets of his time and the post-Independence poets who reacted against his ‘literary authority’ and produced very different works. Has his conservatism influenced Literature negatively or positively? It’s definitely time to move on. The writers of the 1960s revolutionised Maltese poetry and literature in general but some teachers, Church people and politicians still find their literature unsettling, ‘revolutionary,’ so they resort to the more reassuring models… And the writers of the new generation, are even further removed from the puritan romantic worldview of Dun Karm. But Malta is an incorrigible conservative country, isn’t it? Adrian Grima – Lisa Gwen Baldacchino ↑ fuq

Reclaim the World! Saturday 18th October, Freedom Square, Valletta Discussions, NGOs, Live Concert Reclaim the World is an activity which Moviment Graffitti annually organises to raise awareness on global issues such as poverty, exploitation and environmental destruction. Its aim is to show that because of the present political and economical world-system, few corporations and big interests are making huge profits at the expense of the majority of the persons in the world. However our main message is that another world is possible, only if we fight our battles for equality and social justice. Reclaim the World will take place in Freedom Square Valletta on Saturday 18th October starting from 10am. It will consist of: Two Panel Discussions 10am: Globalisation and Work A debate on the effects of globalisation on local economies and workers’ rights. Panel: Angele Deguara (Sociologist/Moviment Graffitti), Vince Fabri, a GWU Representative and Jesmoond Bonello (UHM) 11:30am Globalisation and Culture: A discussion about the impact of globalisation on different cultures around the world. Panel: Dr.Andrew Azzopardi (Lecturer in Youth and Community Studies), JosAnn Cutajar (Sociologist), Andre’ Callus (Moviment Graffitti) and Dr.Adrian Grima (Writer and Lecturer) NGOs Various Non-Governmental Organisations (such as Friends of the Earth, Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, Ananda Marga, Third World Group and Malta Gay Rights Movment) working in the field of social justice and environmental protection will set up a stand in Freedom Square and provide information about several subjects related to the theme of ‘Reclaim the World.’ Concert At 7:00pm a live concert will be held with the participation of local bands BNI, Organised Disorder, Subculture and Brazilian artist Edoardo. ↑ fuq

“Todo Relaci’n” fl-Arġentina Il-poeżija tiegħi “Todo Relaci’n” inqalbet għall-Ispanjol minn Ġwann Xerri OP (fir-ritratt) u Sr Leticia Batista OP u nqrat waqt workshop internazzjonali fl-Argentina lil nies mill-Per’ fosthom żewġ Aymara, in-nies li jissemmew fil-poeżija. Il-workshop tmexxa minn Ġwann Xerri OP u mill-poeta Brażiljan Jelson Oliveira li huwa wkoll attivist favur id-drittijiet tal-art u l-ġustizzja soċjali fil-Brażil. Kemm Sr. Mar’a Julia Ardito, li ispirat il-poeżija, u kemm Sr Leticia Batista OP huma Arġentin u jgħixu l-Per’. Patri Ġwann, li qara l-verżjoni bil-Malti, kitibli li “lkoll, speċjalment l-Aymara, għoġbithom ħafna l-poeżija!” Minbarra li tagħti l-perspettiva tal-Aymara fuq ir-relazzjoni tal-bnedmin man-natura, skond Patri Ġwann din il-poeżija hija xhieda tal-possibilit’ ta’ “kollaborazzjoni internazzjonali” bejn nies li jemmnu fil-ġustizzja soċjali u r-rispett tal-ġnus kollha. Il-poeżija “Todo Relaci’n” tinsab fil-ktejjeb Riħ min-Nofsinhar (Edizzjoni Skarta, 2008) li ppubblikajna flimkien Immanuel Mifsud u jien u li nidejna waqt il-festival tal-kummerċ ġust WorldFest f’Ġunju 2008. Il-ktejjeb qed jerġa’ jiġi stampat u għandu jkun għall-bejgħ ma jdumx. ↑ fuq

Review of P’ter Zilahy’s The Last Window-Giraffe The Times of Malta (in The Weekender supplement) has published a shortened version of my review of P’ter Zilahy’s book The Last Window-Giraffe (2008). Read the review published in The Times here. The full version is available on the Babelmed website here. Zilahy’s illustrated book is a joy to read, more obviously because of its memorable quips and often powerful photos taken by the writer himself. But more fundamentally, I suppose, it’s a joy because of its utterly subversive literary style. Zilahy has come up with a wholly entertaining, wholly captivating literary form that is both immediately amusing and rich in echoes, both anecdotal and multi-layered in meaning, both hilarious and profoundly serious. He manages to strike a careful balance in tone that conveys both cheerfulness and deep scepticism. He communicates eloquently his philosophical irony and the sillyness of history, but he does not banalize the value of brave individual or collective acts and the ultimate sacrifice of unexpected heroes. He makes fun of the picture P’ter Zilahy dictionary he tries to emulate but there is little doubt that he has nostalgia for it and the childhood he associates with it. ‘The Window-Giraffe made the world intelligible to us in alphabetical order. Everything had its rhyme and reason, symbolic or mundane. […] The Window-Giraffe is my childhood, the changing room, the PE class, the continual growing taller, the age before a better age, goulash communism, my homework my innocence, my generation. The Window-Giraffe is a book one of whose characters was myself.’ Read the full review here. I met P’ter Zilahy at a cultural congress on “How to Make Europe Dream?” at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, to which we were both invited in March 2008. ↑ fuq

Poems published on Transcript in English, French and German Some of my poems, translated into English by Albert Gatt, Maria Grech Ganado and Christine Grixti; into German by Sylvia Geist, Ray Fabri and Dominik Kalweit, and into French by Elizabeth Grech, have been published in issue 29 of the European internet review of books and writing, Transcript. This issue is called “Bordered by the Sea.” In her short editorial, Chantal Wright highlights the issue of borders: “On the face of it, the geo-political situations of Israel and Malta appear widely divergent. When one looks at the work of the Israeli poet Tal Nitzan and the Maltese poet Adrian Grima, however, a common theme emerges: borders, and the encounters between those who live on either side of them. Malta’s borders have become Europe’s borders, with all the issues that entails: “our united Europe of solidarity”, sings Grima’s poem ‘If I had a motorboat’ with no little irony. And Israel’s borders, the subject of Nizan’s poem ‘The Target’, continue to draw the attention of the entire world. We hope that you will enjoy this poetry edition of Transcript, as it roams from Iceland to the Mediterranean, taking in a Welsh-Belgian joint venture and an Irish-Canadian dialogue along the way.” Go to Transcript, 29, Bordered by the Sea ↑ fuq

Żewġ kitbiet għat-tfal f’Kalejdoskopju, 6 Żewġ kitbiet tiegħi għat-tfal għadhom kemm ġew ippubblikati fil-ktieb Kalejdoskopju 6 (Merlin Library 2008) ta’ Clare Azzopardi li hu maħsub għat-taħriġ fil-fehem. Il-kitbiet huma “Is-Sena 2020” u “It-Togħma Ħelwa tal-Kummerċ Ġust.” Wieħed mill-iskopijiet tal-kitba ekoloġika “Is-Sena 2020” huwa li l-istudenti jisimgħu l-kanzunetta ta’ Walter Micallef “Elfejn u Għoxrin” u jqabblu l-kontenut tematiku u l-istil. It-temi ta’ “It-Togħma Ħelwa tal-Kummerċ Ġust” żviluppajthom ukoll fid-daħla għall-ktieb Tibża’ Xejn Jekk Tibda x-Xita (Skarta, 2007). L-illustrazzjonijiet f’dan il-ktieb huma ta’ Mark Scicluna. Ma’ kull waħda mill-20 silta ta’ proża (u poeżija), Clare Azzopardi tinkludi għadd ta’ mistoqsijiet u taħriġ marbut mal-lingwa, l-istil u l-kontenut tematiku. ↑ fuq

Reading in Lod’ve – Voix de la M’diterran’e Adrian Grima was one of 80 poets from the Mediterranean and beyond who were invited to read at the XIth edition of the poetry festival Voix de la M’diterran’e held in the town of Lod’ve in the South of France. He read his poems in Maltese, with versions in French by Elizabeth Grech read by actors Mathieu Zab’ and Delphine M’l’se, on seven different occasions during this major international nine day festival which boasts no less than 41 different venues for poetry, music, theatre, visual art, and more.. Grima’s poem “Tu as laiss’ tes hanches sur mon ‘me” (Ħallejt Ġenbejk fuq Ruħi”) was one of nine poems published in the 128-page official programme of the Festival, Voix de la M’diterran’e. Festival de po’sie. Lod’ve, 19-27 juillet 2008, while “Tes yeux Alger” (“Għajnejk l-Alġiers”) appears in the anthology of this XI edition of the festival which includes poems by all invited poets, Voix de la M’diterran’e. Anthologie 2008 (Editions Clapas, 2008). On Thursday 24 July Adrian Grima was one of the poets who took part in a reading, led by Enan Burgos, on the river Soulondre that flows through Lod’ve, “Lecture au gr’ de l’onde, Bou’es / Fauteuils sur la Soulondre (En amont du Pont Roman).” The other poets were Karim Abdel Salam (Egypte), a writer from Montenegro, and Saleh Diab (Syrie/France). Grima’s poems were read in French by Mathieu Zab’. On Friday, 25 July, Adrian Grima was one of the poets who read their work in a session called “Po’sie de bouche ‘ oreille” at 16h30-18h30 at the Jardin de la Sous-Pr’fecture and presented by Marie-Lucie Imhoff. The actor who read Elizabeth Grech’s French version was once again Mathieu Zab’. The other poets were Max Alhau (France), Antoine Boulad (Liban), Sylvain Courtoux (France), Aurelia Lassaque (France-Occitanie), Jean-Marie Petit (France-Occitanie), Jean-Luc Pouliquen (France), Hashem Shafik (Irak), and Nabeela Zubari (Bahrein). Then, at 19h-19h30, Adrian Grima, accompanied by guitarist Fabrice Ducognon, read fourteen of his poems in a reading which was also a “D’gustation de vins du Languedoc” in Place de l’H’tel de Ville – La M’ridienne des Sens. The French translations were read by Delphine M’l’se. The reading on Saturday 26 July with the irreverent Francophone Algerian poet Mustapha Benfodil was one of the highlights of Adrian Grima’s participation in the festival. The poets, presented by the inspirational Catherine Fahri, read both their lyrical and political works. The reading and debate, “Diagonales m’diterran’ennes” (17h-18h), at Cour 28, Rue Fleury allowed the two poets to talk about their choice of language and how it shapes their poetry. Adrian Grima talked about his links with Algeria. He started off by reading “Għajnejk l-Alġiers” and talking about the participation of Algerian poet Samira Negrouche in the 2007 edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival, followed by his own visit to Algiers to translate and read poetry in March 2008. The other poems he read were “U l-Partit Min Jiffinanzjahom?” “Fil-Kantina tal-Labyrinth Jisma’ ‘l Pajjiżu,” “Malta Pajjiż Interattiv,” and two excerpts from “Ramallaħ.” Catherine Fahri read the French translations. On Sunday 27, Adrian Grima read with Croation poet Tatjana Gromaca, “Lecture Crois’e,” at 15h-16h in Place Des Bourneaux. The session was presented by Marianne Catzaras. Both writers talked about how literature often clashes with the established order because it narrates that which is not meant to be narrated. Adrian Grima started his reading by reading his poem “Dubrovnik.” The French translations of the other poems he read were read by actor Mathieu Zab’. In the final event of the Festival on Sunday night on the main stage of Place de l’H’tel de Ville, Adrian Grima and Cypriot writer and academic Zelia Gregoriou, who had read with him in Leipzig in 2007, were asked to represent the islands of the Mediterranean. Adrian Grima read his poem “L-Imħabba Bħal Murtal.” The French version by Elizabeth Grech, “L’amour est comme un p’tard,” was read by Delphine M’l’se. In the second part of the evening, the Maltese poet worked once again with guitarist Fabrice Ducognon and actor Mathieu Zab’ to present the poem “Distanzi” in Maltese and French. ↑ fuq

Poems published in French literary journal The latest issue of the illustrated French literary journal, Les cahiers de Po’sie-Rencontres, published by the association Po’sie-Rencontres established in 1979 to promote contemporary poetry in dialogue with the other arts, has published four of my poems translated into French by Elizabeth Grech. This is the 53rd issue of this literary magazine. The poems that have been chosen for publication are “Distances” (“Distanzi”) and “Les mouettes” (“Hawn Jidħol il-Gawwi”) from Rakkmu (2006), and “La porte entrouverte” (“Bexxqet il-Bieb”) and “Arc-en-ciel” (“Dil-Qawsalla”) from It-Trumbettier (1999). This is not the first time that Maltese poetry has appeared in this literary journal. Les cahiers de po’sie-rencontres n’44-45 had published poems by Oliver Friggieri translated by Martina Vanhove. The editor then was Marc Porcu. The editor of Les cahiers de Po’sie-Rencontres is Mohammed el Amraoui, a French poet born in Morocco who writes poetry in Arabic and French. He has been editor since 2001. July 2008 ↑ fuq

Poeżija fil-festival Po’tes ‘ Paris Ġuż’ Cutayar ġie mistieden jiftaħ il-festival tal-poeżija Po’tes ‘ Paris fl-1 ta’ Ottubru, f’Parigi, fl-Ambaxxata ta’ Malta, b’kelmtejn dwar il-poezija Maltija u qari ta’ poeziji bil-Malti bi traduzzjoni ghall-Franciz. Il-festival hu mtella’ minn Yvan Tetelbom (ara http://www.reactors.fr/poetes/paris.htm Mercredi 1er octobre Lancement du Festival PROLOGUE : 11 h ‘ l’ambassade de Malte 50, bd Champs Elys’es Paris 8’me Metro Franklin-Roosevelt – Lecture rencontre autour des po’tes maltais – sur invitations. Exposition de peintures de lida Sherafatmand, po’te n’e en Iran en 1977, qui a v’cu ‘ Malte depuis 1991. Elle vit aujourd’hui ‘ Paris www.lida-sherafatmand.com Joseph Cutayar Joseph Cutayar, issu de la communaut’ maltaise de Tunis, a termin’ ses ‘tudes ‘ Lyon. Ordonn’ pr’tre, il exerce son minist’re dans le dioc’se de St Etienne. Mari’, il a travaill’ dans l”ducation sp’cialis’e. En lien avec le milieu litt’raire de Malte, il a publi’ aux ‘ditions L’Harmattan un livre sur l’apprentissage de la langue maltaise “Parlons Maltais”, un dictionnaire fran’ais / maltais, et maltais / fran’ais (deuxi’me ‘diton), une traduction de nouvelles maltaises “A Malte, histoires du cr’puscule” d’Oliver Friggieri et une autobiographie ‘crite en maltais en instance de parution. Il est m embre de l’Akkademja tal-Malti. DICTIONNAIRE FRAN’AIS-MALTAIS DICTIONNAIRE MALTAIS-FRAN’AIS PARLONS MALTAIS A MALTE, HISTOIRES DU CR’PUSCULE Oliver Friggieri – Traduit du maltais par Joseph Cutayar ↑ fuq

Reading with Kilin On July 9, 2008, the Maltese writer Mikiel Spiteri, known as Kilin, passed away at the age of 90. Maltastar.com asked me for a comment about this man who has given so much to Maltese literature, language and culture in general. I I have fond memories of my first meeting with Kilin in December 1999. I was honoured to be invited to read with him at the 17th-century Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone in Mosta by the Għaqda Letterarja Maltija. The remarkable Kilin, who was already 80 years old then, impressed me and the audience with his passion for literature and the issues it deals with. The reading of his prose that day focused on nature. Every word echoed inside him; every sound left its spark; every word seemed to rekindle the emotions that had inspired it. I had just published my first book of poetry, It-Trumbettier, which I don’t think he had heard of, and yet he was listening attentively to what was being read. He was not aloof or consumed by self-importance. But he was passionate, from his assertive voice you could tell, about language and nature. II More recently, last May, I was in Alexandria to read and to present books of Maltese literature translated into English to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Among those books was Kilin’s own translations of his short stories, Angelo’s Eyes and other stories, published by Midsea in 2003. It was great to see that works by Kilin, Ellul Mercer, and others had made it onto the shelves of one of the Mediterranean’s most famous havens for books. Which brings me to a final point: Kilin’s name will be rightly repeated in these days as we mark the passing away of a respected man and writer. But what will we do, as a nation with a unique national language and literature, to make the best of his legacy? What will we do to spread the contagious passion for literature that charged his voice in Mosta in 1999? Will our words of praise, like our often fake environmentalism, swim in the stagnant water of tokenism? Reading him is meeting him. And that’s not bad at all for a start. 10 July 2008 Dr. Adrian Grima is a poet and lecturer in Maltese Literature at the University of Malta ↑ fuq

“Precariousness and the Erasure of the Mediterranean” published by the University of Malta The European Documentation and Research Centre at the University of Malta has published my paper on “Precariousness and the Erasure of the Mediterranean” as part of its civil society project focused on The Fight against Poverty. My 20-page paper is included in the second section of the book that deals with “The Faces of the Poor.” Read it here: http://www.um.edu.mt/edrc/books/CD_CSP4/pdf/agrima.pdf Here’s a short excerpt from the study: “The negative perception of the Mediterranean in Maltese minds comes across powerfully in Juan Mamo’s controversial novel Ulied in-Nanna Venut fl-Amerka (1930-31) (Grandma Venut’s Children in America). In a cheeky satirical tone, Mamo tells the story of how a group of uneducated and unemployed Maltese rural villagers emigrate to the US in order to get rich quick and return to Malta to sit on their wealth. The emigrants return to their island poorer than and as stupid as ever, only to be murdered in an absurdist denouement, ironically, by a jealous fellow villager. The novel sees the poverty and backwardness of the Maltese population in general as a result of the exploitation and lack of opportunities granted to them by the local professional elite, but it also suggests that this backwardness stems from the fact that the Maltese Islands lie in the Mediterranean, which is compared to the far more advanced societies of (northern) Europe and the USA.” This publication was edited by Prof Peter G. Xuereb, who also coordinated the project. ↑ fuq

Remembering L’lia do Amaral Azevedo My friend L’lia do Amaral Azevedo, a Brazilian peace and justice activist, passed away on 31 May 2008. On Sunday, 6 June, 2004, she was one of the guest speakers at two public debates on “Social Development in Developing Countries” and “Alternattivi għall-Paċi” (“Alternatives for Peace”) during the WorldFest 2004 fair trade festival organized by Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust at the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta. The other special guest that year was her friend Ġwann Xerri OP, with whom she has written a book in Portuguese (recently published in Italian) and many articles. The theme of WorldFest 2004 was ‘Small Change, Big Difference’ and Lilia was an excellent choice as guest speaker about such a theme of engagement and hope. On 12th May 2007 L’lia sent me this message about my collection of poems translated into English, The Tragedy of the Elephant (Inizjamed, Midsea Books, 2005). Dear Adrian, I have just received by post the book you sent me via fr. John Xerri. Wow! what a wonderful gift, surprise, joy! I have only just begun to read the first poems: they are beautiful and make me wonder how much more beautiful they must be in their original Maltese! I know, by experience, how almost impossible it is to translate a poem… your translators have done a very good job, good enough to make me feel frustrated for not being able to read the original! Please congratulate them for me. I loved the “elephant” and his frustration – feeling caught inside a cage… and the next three ones show me how open to the world you are. It is lovely to connect with someone who has such a different world/life experience, but who shares my/our concerns and expresses them through such beautiful poetry. I will now slowly read the other poems, enjoying them all, but I wanted to thank you at once, while the feeling of joy and gratitude is “warm”. God bless you for sharing! Love, from across the ocean, L’lia Azevedo L’lia was also close to my family and me when we were the victims of prejudice. Part of her message at the time read: “[…] we are members of the same family – and as the motto of one of the Trade Unions in South Africa under the apartheid regime said: “An injury to one is an injuty to all.” Unfortunately I am also humbled by what happened to you as none of us, across the world, can today consider him/herself free of any prejudice, it is rather a case of “There, but for the grace of God go I”… We are all daily threatened by prejudice regarding gender, race, skin colour, religion, language, culture… May the grace of God protect you and keep you strong and free. United in deepest solidarity, admiration and friendship, L’lia Azevedo Maria Sant Fournier wrote to L’lia on Saturday morning, 31 May, before news reached her that L’lia had passed away. These are excerpts from her letter. “John” is Ġwann Xerri OP, Maria’s brother. Dearest L’lia, We are thinking of you very specially these days. John keeps us informed. We will pray for you very specially during mass both Sunday and Monday 2nd June. I’ve been thinking and reflecting on the impact you have had on my/our lives. I am sure I cannot really quantify well enough or appreciate it fully but I will share some of my reflections. We had heard a lot about you from John, but the first time I met you was way back in 1985 on my first visit to Brazil. I remember the gatherings and celebrations at your home and the many friends I made thanks to you. Before I/we got to know you personally, you were that extremely capable Brazilian woman who worked side by side with John for many years’ a fine example of the role of lay persons especially lay women in the world and in the Church. We do fondly remember the many conversations we had when you came to Malta ‘ your fresh way of looking at faith, the Church .. the issue of Jesus having brothers and sisters’your presence has always been an inspiration for us. I’ve said this before but I must say it again and show my gratitude once more because it was thanks to you, your friendship, your visits to Malta and your great hospitality whenever one of us came to Brazil that helped us to understand John, his work his love and passion so much better. Not only did you help us understand John, but also ourselves and you enable us to open our horizons ‘ our lives .. our thoughts ‘. Thank you for being our ‘mother’ too. It was thanks to your encouragement and prompting that we came to Brazil for ceremony marking John as honorary citizen of Sao Paolo. I don’t think I would have thought about the possibility of us being present hadn’t been for you who put the idea, wish and desire in my mind & heart. You will never really know how grateful we are. Thank you L’lia. Thank you for being our friend, our mother, our mentor, our companion. Besides all this you have been a model for us. Your life in general, the small fraction I/we know, has been a very good example and inspiration for us. You have always enjoyed the beauty and pleasures of life and the world. I remember the many emails/letters you sent, sharing with us the joy and beauty of what you experienced during your holidays. You have been blessed with a wonderful large family, even a great grand child. You have been enriched with so many friends world wide and have helped and touched the lives of so many. But what inspires me most is your zest for life, your will and energy to do something for others, your want to share in the joys and plights of others, especially the emarginalised and less fortunate. You have used your qualities, intelligence, time, strength and talents so well. You have accomplished much in your life and for this we celebrate the joy of knowing you for so long. We are sure God looks down on you, smiles and says this is my child with whom I am so pleased’.. May God bless you and give you the strength, courage and patience you now need during this very difficult moment in your life. We are united with you in prayers, love and friendship. We love you! Maria Sant Fournier, together with Alfred, Christina and Andrew This was her cv published by Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust at the time of L’lia Azevedo’s visit to Malta in 2004 and participation in WorldFest. L’lia do Amaral Azevedo was born in S’o Paulo, Brazil, in 1929. In 1950 she obtained her degree in Greek and Latin at the Catholic University in S’o Paulo, during which time she participated in the JUC: Catholic University Students movement. Married in 1952, she has 3 daughters and a son and 8 grandchildren. From 1956 to 1966 she was a member of ‘Equipes de Nossa Senhora’ a Catholic family movement of French origin. She is a professional translator ‘ now retired – of French, English and Spanish, having worked at a government enterprise from 79 to 87. In 1975 she entered the Catholic Action ‘ Renova”o Crist’/MIAMSI ‘ Movement of which she was the diocesan coordinator from 76 to 1980, a member of the coordinating team for Latin America from 80 to 84 and of the international team from 84 to 88. Today she is the national vice-coordinator. In 1981 Lilia began to translate texts of Liberation Theology, having organized together with fr.John Xerri ‘St.Dominic’s Translation Group’, which later became ‘St.Dominic’s Solidarity Group’. She worked as a volunteer translator, during over 4 years, in a Pastoral Center linked to the Dominicans which gave support to trade unionists. In 1983 Lilia went to Lima, Peru, for a meeting of the Latin American team and attended the summer course given by Gustavo Gutierrez. The meeting with South African Mike Deeb led to solidarity with the people who struggled against apartheid. For 10 years: 83-93 the group worked in link with South Africa, hosting over 40 persons who came over to Brazil to get to know the work of Basic Christian Communities and Popular Movements, writing articles, translating and interpreting. Lilia translated to Portuguese many texts by Dominican theologian Albert Nolan, specially ‘Jesus before Christianity’ and ‘Spirituality of the Service to the Poor’. She also translated to Portuguese the writings of Steve Biko, great South African martyr and one of the founders of the Black Consciousness Movement. Since 1986 she has been active in the Justice and Peace movement of the Dominican Family, having been one of the founders of the J&P Commission of the Dominican Family in Brazil. This has made her tavel to many countries in Latin America, taking part in meetings of the Domincan Family. In 1992 she attended the Elective General Chapter of the Dominican Order in Mexico as a lay woman. In January 2003 Lilia was instrumental in bringing to Brazil Iraqi Dominican sister Sherine: she was a key speaker in the World Social Forum about Iraq. In September 2003 the Solidarity Group and Dominican Justice and Peace brought to Brazil and Argentina Dominican sister Kathy Long, to share her experience as a pacifist: she had recently been released from 3 months imprisonment in the USA because of her stand against war. Lilia is one of the persons in charge of the Brazilian edition of the Latin American/World Agenda, organizing each year a major event to present it. Since 1993 she is part of a team who writes for a monthly bulletin for Christians ‘Rede’ about the international scene. She has given talks, written many texts and published articles about the countries with which the Solidarity Group has worked: South Africa, Haiti, East Timor, Chiapas (Mexico), Vieques (Puerto Rrico), Iraq, Palestine. Also texts on spirituality and theology for Renova”o Crist’/MIAMSI. Together with fr. John Xerri, she wrote ‘Cartas da ‘frica do Sul'(Letters from South Africa) about her experience in this country in 1984. Also with John Xerri she wrote a text: ‘Todos os Direitos para Todos’ (All the rights for all the persons) as part of a book in honor of Fr. Carlos Josaphat op, well known Brazilian Domincan theologian. Lilia do Amaral Azevedo lives in S’o Paulo, Brazil. 25/05/2005 ↑ fuq

Riħ min-Nofsinhar fil-WorldFest – Adrian Grima u Immanuel Mifsud Nhar il-Ħadd, 22 ta’ Ġunju, waqt il-kunċert tal-WorldFest li jibda fit-8pm fil-Barrakka ta’ Fuq, il-Belt Valletta, Adrian Grima u Immanuel Mifsud se jniedu l-ktieb tagħhom, Riħ min-Nofshinar (Edizzjoni Skarta, 2008; ISBN: 978-99932-652-5-2), li jinkludi sensiela ta’ poeżiji marbutin mat-tema tat-tibdil fil-klima. Riħ min-Nofsinhar, it-tibdil fil-klima skond Immanuel Mifsud u Adrian Grima jinkludi wkoll kontributi dwar it-tibdil fil-klima ta’ nies minn diversi oqsma: Joseph Sciberras u Joe Galea, bdiewa mill-Koperattiva Rurali Manikata; il-kittieb u edukatur, Mario Cardona; l-ambjentalista Annalise Falzon; Kurt Sansone, editur tal-gazzetta Illum; il-politiku Ralph Cassar; Nathalie Grima mill-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust; Christine Borg mill-Malta Breastfeeding Foundation; u s-soċjologa Angele Deguara. Il-ktieb ta’ 60 faċċata u qoxra bil-kulur. Aktar dettalji dwar il-WorldFest 2008 jidhru hawnhekk. It-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Kummerċ Ġust fil-WorldFest 22 ta’ Ġunju, il-Barrakka ta’ Fuq, 4.00pm-10.00pm Mil-lemin: Vince Caruana, Adrian Grima u Eric van Monckhoven fil-Finlandja fl-2003 L-ekoloġista Belġjan Eric van Monckhoven, il-grupp Trania ta’ Renzo Spiteri, il-grupp Malti ta’ mużika funk Zizza Ensemble, il-kantawtur Franċiż Rouage, il-kittieba Immanuel Mifsud u Adrian Grima, u l-Koperattiva Rurali Manikata se jkunu wħud mill-mistiedna tas-seba’ edizzjoni ta’ WorldFest, il-festival tal-kummerċ ġust, li se jsir il-Ħadd, 22 ta’ Ġunju, fil-Barrakka ta’ Fuq, bejn l-4.00pm u l-10.00pm. Id-dħul għall-attivitajiet kollha, inkluż il-kunċert li jibda fit-8.00pm, se jkun b’xejn. Mis-6.45pm ‘il quddiem se jinbiegħ ikel Afrikan imsajjar apposta għal dan l-avveniment annwali use jinbiegħ xorb tal-kummerċ ġust b’ingredjenti minn bnadi differenti tad-dinja. It-tema ta’ din is-sena hija ‘Il-Kummerċ Ġust u l-Ambjent.’ Tliet Kontinenti fil-Barrakka Fil-5.30pm se jsir forum pubbliku dwar ‘It-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Ġustizzja Globali’ bis-sehem ta’ l-edukatur Vince Caruana u s-soċjologa Anna Zammit mill-Universit’ ta’ Malta, u l-espert Belġjan Eric van Monckhoven li ġej Malta apposta għal dan il-Festival. Fil-kunċert ta’ mużika live li jibda fit-8.00pm se jieħdu sehem il-kittieba Adrian Grima u Immanuel Mifsud li se jippreżentaw poeżiji ġodda dwar it-tibdil fil-klima u l-impatt li qed iħalli fuq il-bnedmin u fuq l-ambjent. Magħhom se jieħu sehem ukoll il-kantawtur Franċiż Rouage. Il-perkussjonista magħruf Renzo Spiteri se jerġa’ jieħu sehem f’dan il-festival, din id-darba bil-grupp tiegħu Trania, li jinkludi lill-mużiċisti stabbiliti Walter Vella fuq il-flawtijiet u s-sassofonu, u Mark Attard fuq il-keyboards. Il-kunċert jagħlaq bil-grupp ta’ mużika funk Zizza Ensemble, li bħalissa qed iħejju l-ewwel album tagħhom. Fil-WorldFest se jdoqqu wkoll materjal ġdid miktub għal dan l-album. Din is-sena se jkun hemm mijiet ta’ prodotti tal-kummerċ ġust maħdumin minn komunitajiet żvantaġġati fl-Amerika Latina, l-Asja, l-Afrika u l-Mediterran. Dan ix-xogħol ta’ kwalit’ maħdum bl-idejn jinkludi xogħol ġdid ta’ l-artiġjanat, ġojjellerija u affarijiet għad-dar minn pajjiżi bħall-Eġittu. Se jkun hemm firxa ikbar minn qatt qabel ta’ prodotti ta’ l-ikel, xorb, cds tal-mużika mid-dinja kollha, strumenti mużikali, ħwejjeġ, tiżjin, u prodotti tal-Koperattiva Rurali Manikata (www.manikatafarmers.com), li għandha wkoll rwol soċjali u edukattiv importanti. Il-Kummerċ Ġust u l-Ekoloġija L-edukatur Vince Caruana, is-soċjologa Anna Zammit, u l-ekoloġista Eric Van Monckhoven se jkunu l-kelliema ewlenin f’forum pubbliku dwar ‘It-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Ġustizzja Globali’ bejn il- 5.30pm u s-7.00pm. fil-ħidma tiegħu Eric Van Monckhoven jiffoka fuq il-kultura, l-għaqdiet li jiffurmaw fost in-nies komuni, il-valorizzazzjoni tal-komunit’ u t-tkattir tal-kuntatti bejn in-nies u l-għaqdiet. Ħadem, fost l-oħrajn, fl-Italja, f’bosta pajjiżi Skandinavi u fil-Punent ta’ l-Afrika. ‘I believe,’ jgħid van Monckhoven, ‘that the natural world is a living memory, a piece of art that took many generations to build up and that there is much to learn from it. While ‘modern people’ have almost become illiterate in terms of nature, ‘Ancient people’ easily speak about it as the ‘Book of Life.’ And from my experience, this is not only poetry.’ (http://blogspot.migmoes.com) F’dawn l-aħħar snin, tgħid Nathalie Grima mill-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust li qed imexxu l-WorldFest, aktar nies saru konxji tat-tibdil fil-klima u kif qed jaffettwa l-ambjent tad-dinja. Ir-riċerka qed turi li komunitajiet żgħar li jgħixu f’pajjiżi li għadhom qed jiżviluppaw fin-nofsinhar tad-dinja, għandhom l-inqas ‘carbon footprints,’ jiġifieri jagħmlu l-inqas ħsara lill-ambjent fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum tagħhom. Madanakollu, huma wkoll l-iktar nies li qed ikollhom iħabbtu wiċċhom ma’ nuqqas ta’ sigurt’ fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum, ngħidu aħna fil-provvista ta’ l-ikel u l-aċċess għad-djar, għax jgħixu fil-pajjiżi li l-aktar qed jintlaqtu mit-tibdil fil-klima. Eżempju riċenti ħafna ta’ dan huwa t-traġedja umana u ambjentali bla qies li ħalla warajh l-urugan li attakka lil Myanmar. Eżempju ieħor huwa dak ta’ komunitajiet indiġeni li kellhom jitilqu mill-gżejjer żgħar tal-Paċifiku fejn għexu għal mijiet, jekk mhux eluf ta’ snin, minħabba li l-livell tal-baħar qed jogħla u jipperikolalhom ħajjithom. Dawn il-komunitajiet fin-Nofsinhar tad-dinja huma wkoll l-aktar nies li qed jintlaqtu ħażin mis-sistema ekonomika globali. Għalkemm dan il-fenomenu qed jaffettwa wkoll reġjuni u pajjiżi oħrajn, fosthom Malta, l-akbar konsegwenzi qed narawhom fil-pajjiżi l-foqra fejn il-fqar qed ikomplu jiftaqru. Il-Kummerċ Ġust jipprovdi alternattiva sostenibbli lil dawn il-komunitajiet iż-żgħar filwaqt li jħares ukoll l-ambjent, il-patrimonju ta’ kulħadd. Il-prodotti tal-Kummerċ Ġust (Fair Trade) u dawk li ġejjin mingħand membri tal-IFAT (International Fair Trade Association) joffru garanzija li: ‘ Il-ħaddiema jitħallsu prezz ġust u tinħoloq relazzjoni fit-tul bejn min jipproduċi u min jimporta. B’dan il-kunċett in-nies u l-ambjent mhumiex pupazzi f’idejn il-profitt. ‘ Isir użu sostenibbli tar-riżorsi naturali u materjal bijodegradabbli u l-produzzjoni tkun waħda li ma taħlix ħafna enerġija u tnaqqas l-użu taż-żejt. ‘ Ix-xogħol isir, kemm jista’ jkun, bl-idejn. Qed tiżdied il-produzzjoni ta’ l-ikel li tinvolvi biedja organika. ‘ B’dan il-mod titqanqal kuxjenza favur l-ambjent, kemm fil-komunitajiet li fihom jgħixu l-ħaddiema, kif ukoll fost il-konsumaturi madwar id-dinja. Matul dawn l-aħħar 40 sena, il-Kummerċ Ġust irnexxielu joħloq sistema ekonomika sostenibbli li taħdem, anki billi tgħin lill-produtturi fin-nofsinhar tad-dinja joħolqu suq lokali għall-prodotti tagħhom. Dan iwassal għal stabilita akbar fir-reġjun, għax il-ħaddiema ma jkollhomx għalfejn jemigraw lejn il-bliet jew saħansitra jitilqu minn pajjiżhom. F’din is-sena ta’ mobilitazzjoni internazzjonali mmexxija mill-IFAT, il-federazzjoni internazzjonali tal-kummerċ ġust, Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust tħeġġeġ lill-kosumaturi Maltin biex isiru aktar konxji ta’ l-istil tal-ħajja li qed jgħixu u l-kwalit’ tal-prodotti li qed jikkunsmaw. Il-Kummerċ Ġust joffri sistema ta’ suq li jagħti prijorit’ lill-bnedmin u lill-ambjent. Ix-xogħol ħafna drabi jsir b’kollaborazzjoni mill-viċin ħafna ma’ gruppi ta’ bdiewa jew artiġjani tal-lokal u jippromwovi ġustizzja soċjali u ambjentali. Fil-waqt li tappoġġja lill-prodotti ġenwini, u speċjalment dawk organiċi, mkabbrin u maħdumin f’Malta, KKĠ tħeġġeġ lill-Maltin jagħżlu prodotti tal-Kummerċ Ġust, biex jonqos l-impatt negattiv ta’ dak li nixtru fuq l-ambjent li ngħixu lkoll fih. Il-Kummerċ Ġust jgħin lil miljuni ta’ nies biex, permezz tal-ħidma onesta tagħhom, joħorġu mill-faqar; meta aħna l-konsumaturi nagħżlu prodott ġust inkunu qegħdin nagħtu sehemna biex l-inġustizzja ambjentali ma tkomplix tikkawża aktar qerda u faqar. L’lia do Amaral Azevedo WorldFest 2008 huwa ddedikat lil L’lia do Amaral Azevedo, attivista Brażiljana favur il-paċi u l-ġustizzja u ħabiba tal-koperattiva Maltija tal-kummerċ ġust, li mietet fil-31 ta’ Mejju. Azevedo kienet waħda mill-mistednin speċjali tal-WorldFest fl-2004. Il-festival tal-kummerċ ġust WorldFest qed jittella’ mill-voluntiera tal-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust bi sħab ma’ IFAT, man-network tal-ħwienet dinjin bl-isem ta’ NEWS! u mal-proġett Playing Fair Alternatives li rċieva finanzjament mill-UE. Dawk li jixtiequ aktar informazzjoni dwar WorldFest 2008 u dwar il-koperattiva ta’ voluntiera li tmexxi l-ħanut dinji L-Arka fi Triq San Pawl il-Belt, jistgħu jċemplu fuq 21 244 865 jew 2131 5562. Inkella jistgħu jiktbu lil kkg@maltaforum.org jew iżuru s-sit http://www.l-arka.org. Adrian Grima ↑ fuq

Evarist Bartolo ‘Cut a flower, build a room’ Malta Today, 29 June 2008 Cut flowers. Uproot trees. Destroy fields to make room for more houses, villas and high towers. After all you have only wasted some earth. Let your boathouses devour more of our coast. Catch whatever moves in the sea even if few fish remain. Warm up the globe and make the ice caps melt and climb onto the high towers to escape from the rising sea. Swim in the pool as the sea is too polluted. You cannot stay in the sun. You cannot stay in the dark. Keep on doing what you are doing and then breathe your last and die. This is my very poor translation of the strong poem recited in Maltese last Sunday by the poet himself ‘ Immanuel Mifsud ‘ at the Worldfest organized by Koperattiva Kummerc Gust (KKG) at the Upper Barakka. The organizers were rather ambitious to compete with the Spain ‘ Italy match on the same evening and fewer people turned up. But I am sure those of us who attended enjoyed it even though perhaps the word ‘enjoyed’ is not the right word to use as the main themes of this year’s event were ‘Fair Trade and the Environment’ and “Climate Change and Global Justice.” Upper Barakka with the magnificent view of our Grand Harbour is a wonderful venue for such activities. On show and for sale in different stalls there were hundreds of Fair Trade handmade crafts and jewellery from disadvantaged communities in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean. There was also a wide range of foodstuffs, drinks, cds of world music, musical instruments, clothes, ornaments, and local agricultural products from Koperattiva Rurali Manikata. During the evening people ate African food and listened to local poets reciting their own poetry and to the vibrant music of Renzo Spiteri’s band TRANIA, local funk band Zizza Ensemble and French singer-songwriter Rouage. Earlier on there was a public forum on ‘Climate Change and Social Justice’. One of the guest speakers was Eric van Monckhoven focuses mainly on culture, grass roots organisations, community empowerment and networking. He has worked in many different countries, mainly in Scandinavia, Italy, and West Africa. He says he is interested ‘in the normal citizen, in social and environmental issues. I try to find the connections between being a human being, our environment and where we come from. Somehow whole cultures have lost the memory of their past. So I’m interested in the most ancient cultures in the world where people have kept alive their traditions: indigenous people, aboriginals.’ KKG is trying to raise awareness about how climate change is affecting our lives: ‘It will affect both north and south, but on different levels. In southern countries over 1.1 billion people are living in absolute poverty. Already, they are living and working under harsh climatic conditions: natural disasters such as storms, droughts and floods threaten lives directly. As a result of climate change such events will happen more often and with greater intensity. It is lives in the South that will be most at risk.’ KKĠ defines itself as ‘a force for protecting the environment while promoting sustainable development. Fair Trade favours the sustainable use of natural resources and production methods that are not capital and oil intensive, favouring hand production and organic agriculture ‘ to reduce the carbon footprint. Because Fair Trade is committed to paying a living wage and works in long-term partnerships, it enables producer partners to invest in environmentally friendly production. In turn, these initiatives promote environmental awareness locally and internationally.’ Last Sunday’s event reinforced my belief that non-government organizations (NGOs) play a precious role in our society and we must do all we can to enable them to strengthen their role. I believe we need a stronger civil society if we want an open democratic society where citizenship means much more than voting every five years and passively supporting or opposing what the political parties say and do. I believe that the active role of civil society should be recognized in a new Constitution that we should create together for our country in the 21^st century. Our civil society is still weak and underdeveloped and we must do our utmost to strengthen existing support structures for NGOs and create new ones to make it possible for them to have an effective say in the public debates and decisions that affect all of us. Members of NGOs should also be appointed on public boards. We should encourage and cultivate active citizenship from a young age so that our society will become more open, democratic and able to embrace and celebrate diversity. ↑ fuq

Live Music and Foreign Guests at WorldFest Belgian ecologist and fair trade activist Eric Van Monckhoven, Renzo Spiteri and his band TRANIA, local funk band Zizza Ensemble (right), and French singer songwriter Rouage are among the guests of the fair trade festival WorldFest at the Upper Barracca Gardens on Sunday 22 June between 4.00pm and 10.00pm. Ethnic food and Fair Trade drinks will be on sale from 6.45pm onwards. Hundreds of Fair Trade handmade crafts and jewellery from disadvantaged communities in Latin America, Asia and Africa will be on sale together with an ever increasing range of foodstuffs, drinks, cds of world music, musical instruments, clothes, ornaments, and local products from Koperattiva Rurali Manikata. Fair Trade and reducing the carbon footprint The theme of this year’s seventh edition of WorldFest is ‘Fair Trade and the Environment’ and coincides with a worldwide campaign among fair organizations. The public forum between 5.30pm and 7.00pm will focus on “Climate Change and Global Justice.” University lecturer and SKOP coordinator Vince Caruana, sociologist Anna Zammit and Eric Van Monckhoven will be the main speakers. Eric Van Monckhoven focuses mainly on culture, grass roots organisations, community empowerment and networking. He has worked in many different countries, mainly in Scandinavia, Italy, and West Africa. ‘I am interested,’ says Mr. Van Monckhoven, ‘in the normal citizen, in social and environmental issues. I try to find the connections between being a human being, our environment and where we come from. Somehow whole cultures have lost the memory of their past. So I’m interested in the most ancient cultures in the world where people have kept alive their traditions: indigenous people, aboriginals.’ The change of the world’s climate is undisputed. It will affect both North and South, but on different levels. In southern countries over 1.1 billion people are living in absolute poverty. Already, they are living and working under harsh climatic conditions: natural disasters such as storms, droughts and floods threaten lives directly. As a result of climate change such events will happen more often and with greater intensity. It is lives in the South that will be most at risk. Fair Trade, which is present in Malta through Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, the only local Fair Trade organisation, is a force for protecting the environment while promoting sustainable development. Fair Trade favours the sustainable use of natural resources and production methods that are not capital and oil intensive, favouring hand production and organic agriculture ‘ to reduce the carbon footprint. Because Fair Trade is committed to paying a living wage and works in long-term partnerships, it enables producer partners to invest in environmentally friendly production. In turn, these initiatives promote environmental awareness locally and internationally. Music to our ears Multi-percussionist Renzo Spiteri returns to WorldFest, this time with his new band Trania, which also includes the well-known Walter Vella on flutes and saxophone, and Mark Attard on keyboards. The second band playing on the night are the reinvigorated local funk band Zizza Ensemble who will be playing some of their new numbers which will feature on the album they are currently recording. This year’s two-hour free live concert starts at 8.00pm with French singer-songwriter Rouage and poets Adrian Grima and Immanuel Mifsud, who will be presenting irreverent new verses inspired by climate change and its effect on people and the environment. WorldFest 2008 is dedicated to L’lia do Amaral Azevedo, a Brazilian peace and justice activist and good friend of the Maltese fair trade cooperative who passed away on 31 May. She was a guest of WorldFest in 2004. Entrance to the festival and all events is free. WorldFest is organised by the volunteers of Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust that run the world shop L-Arka in collaboration with the project Playing Fair Alternatives which is supported by the EU, IFAT and NEWS! network of fair trade shops. Adrian Grima ↑ fuq

Il-Mitt Velu tan-Natura Gaiafest, 22 ta’ Ġunju, 9.00pm Sejħa lil min iħobb il-poeżija Ħbieb, Nhar il-Ġimgħa, 20 ta’ Ġunju, bejn id-9.00pm u l-10.00pm fiċ-ċentru Elysium tal-Fondazzjoni Gaia f’Għajntuffieħa (dahar ma’ dahar, tista’ tgħid, mar-restorant Apple’s Eye), se nieħu ħsieb sessjoni miftuħa ta’ poeżija dwar il-bniedmin u l-vjaġġ tagħhom biex jiskopru, u jindiehsu man-natura, bl-isem ta’ “Il-Mitt Velu tan-Natura.” Miftuħa għal kulħadd, imma min jiġi mhux obbligat jaqra. Nisimgħu u/jew naqraw il-poeżiji lil xulxin – daqshekk sempliċi. Ma nixtieqx li jkunu poeżiji ta’ protesta pero’, għalkemm jekk ikollhom element ta’ protesta mhux problema. Poeżiji li jirrakkontaw ir-relazzjoni tal-bnedmin man-natura… Se tkun sessjoni miftuħa li fiha dawk preżenti jistgħu jaqraw xogħol tagħhom jew ta’ ħaddieħor. Madankollu qed niġbor kemm jista’ jkun ismijiet ta’ dawk li se jkunu preżenti dakinhar biex jaqraw u naġġornakom bil-lista iktar ‘il quddiem. L-isem tas-sessjoni huwa ispirat mill-poeżija “Ċentifolja” ta’ Achille Mizzi (Vetrati Milwiena, PEG, 1998). Dan l-inkontru dwar il-poeżija se jkun parti mill-attivitajiet tal-Gaiafest 2008. Il-biljett tad-dħul għal dan il-festival huwa ta’ ‘2 għal kull persuna. Il-festival jibda fis-6.00pm. Nisma’ mingħandkom. Kemm tgħiduli, “ġejja” jew “ġej” u jien inqegħedkom fil-lista. (Jekk ma tixtiqux tidhru fil-lista għiduli.) Saħħiet Adrian ↑ fuq

From: Adrian Grima To: Letteratura Maltija Sent: L-Erbgħa, 11 ta’ Ġunju, 2008 12:40 PM Subject: Letteraturamaltija.com taghlaq tliet snin Ħbieb, Fl-2005 ħloqt il-websajt www.letteraturamaltija.com. Nhar it-Tnejn, 16 ta’ Ġunju, tagħlaq tliet snin. Kont ħloqtha ftit wara li talbuni biex inkun il-kap tal-Kumitat Tekniku tal-Letteratura fi ħdan il-Kunsill Nazzjonali ta’ l-Ilsien Malti. Minkejja d-difetti tagħha, marbutin mal-fatt li jien miniex disinjatur tajjeb, li qatt ma studjajt il-lingwa ta’ l-html, u l-ispejjeż joħorġu minn buti (u għalhekk ir-riżorsi tiegħi huma limitati); u minkejja li diffiċli għalija nsib il-ħin biex norganizzaha aħjar u naġġorna l-paġni inqas użati tagħha (eż. artikli, u politika u finanzjament tal-letteratura), f’dawn it-tliet snin www.letteraturamaltija.com kienet punt ta’ riferiment konsistenti, b’aħbarijiet regolari dwar avvenimenti u pubblikazzjonijiet marbutin mal-letteratura Maltija, huma ta’ min huma, jorganizzahom min jorganizzahom. Peress li mhux kulħadd jgħaddili l-informazzjoni dwar ix-xogħlijiet, l-aħbarijiet u l-avvenimenti, forsi għax lanqas jaf bis-sit jew għandu dubju kemm jarawh nies, hemm ċerti nuqqasijiet. Imma dak li tibagħtuli nagħmel mezz li ninkludih (mhux stampi, pero’), u f’dan is-sens, l-għajnuna ta’ Joe Borg u Sergio Grech kienet imprezzabbli. Dan is-sit mhuwiex biss biex jinforma dwar dak li ġej, imma biex jagħti ħjiel ta’ dak li sar. Dawk li jkunu qed jagħmlu r-riċerka dwar il-letteratura tagħna u jużawh jafu x’qed ngħid. Għalhekk ma nħassar xejn minn dak li jitħabbar. Nuqqas ieħor huwa l-verżjoni bl-Ingliż tas-sit, www.malteseliterature.com. Kull sena nħallas għalih imma ma nġeddux. Nittama li nsib il-ħin li naħdem fuqu. Forsi b’dan il-mod jibda jservi ta’ punt ta’ riferiment għal min ma jaqrax bil-Malti. Jekk tixtiequ li dan is-sit ikun aħjar, tafu li s-sehem tagħkom huwa indispensabbli. Kont se nispiċċa bi slogan moralista, ngħidu aħna, “Il-letteratura Maltija hija tagħna lkoll,” imma m’hemmx bżonn. Saħħiet Adrian Grima ↑ fuq

Żewġ Stejjer għat-tfal dwar il-Baħar Żewġ stejjer tiegħi għat-tfal għadhom kemm ġew ippubblikati fil-ktieb Kalejdoskopju 5 (Merlin Library 2008) ta’ Clare Azzopardi li hu maħsub għat-taħriġ fil-fehem. L-istejjer huma “Bandiera Ħamra” u “14-il Ruħ Mitlufa fil-Mediterran.” Din it-tieni kitba hija parti minn xogħol teatrali għat-tfal li nittama li jittella’ fis-sena akkademika li jmiss. L-illustrazzjoni fuq stil manga f’dan il-ktieb huma ta’ Nicole Diacono. Ma’ kull waħda mill-20 silta ta’ proża (u poeżija), Clare Azzopardi tinkludi għadd ta’ mistoqsijiet u taħriġ marbut mal-lingwa, l-istil u l-kontenut tematiku. ↑ fuq

Adrian Grima fuq Mhux għal Kulħadd Nhar il-Ħamis, 22 ta’ Mejju, 2008, ixxandar il-programm Mhux għal Kulħadd li fih Clare Agius intervistatni bħala awtur. Tkellimna dwar il-letteratura u l-promozzjoni tagħha f’Malta, anki fost it-tfal. Lejn l-aħħar tal-programm qrajt il-poeżija tiegħi “Rajtni Kif Kont Għaddej?” mill-ktieb Rakkmu (2006). ↑ fuq

Je suis un immigr’ – Maltese Poem in Alexandria multimedia theatre production Khaled Raouf (in front) and Mohab Saber, Shimaa Hamed & Heba Radwan Adrian Grima’s poem, “Kieku Kelli Lanċa Żgħira,” translated into Egyptian Arabic by Abdel Rehim Youssef, featured prominently in a multimedia theatre production by the group El Madina called “Je suis un immigr’ / I Am an Immigrant / Ana Mouhajer.” This well-attended theatre performance “in Mediterranean languages” was held at the French Cultural Centre of Alexandria on Wednesday 21 of May 2008 at 10 pm. “A part of life or chosen lives, immigration is a checkpoint for everybody. Reasons are multiple but to immigrate is to start a trip where you know that you will be different after. ‘I’m an immigrant’ is a trip invitation; it is a human endeavor of women and men who question our present mobility through their movements.” Heba Radwan (in front) and Shimaa Hamed, Mohab Saber & Khaled Raouf According to Assia Meliani from the production team, “the idea of this work is to talk about immigrationS (in the plural), and more precisely about the relationship between movement and politics. Therefore, we not only use photos and videos but mainly texts (poems, extracts from novels, songs…) and one of the texts chosen by Al Madina for this performance is Adrian Grima’s poem, “If I Had a Motorboat.” The production was directed by Ahmed Saleh, whom I had the pleasure to meet (together with other members of the team) and discuss the production with at length in Alexandria a few days before the performance through our common friends Hamdy Zedan and Assia Meliani. The actors were Khaled Raouf, Shimaa Hamed, Heba Radwan, Mohab Saber. Scenography was by Ahmed Saleh & Mohamed Taman. The composer and singer was Mohamed Hosni. The translations for the production were made by Abdel Rehim Youssef. The languages used were Arabic, French, Greek, and English. This performance was part of the programme of events for intercultural dialogue organized by the Centre Culturel Fran’ais of Alexandria to celebrate the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. On Wednesday, 21 May 2008, Aude Thepenier wrote in Le Petit Journal of Alexandria that this an other events coincided with a host of initiatives throughout the Mediterranean region. “Une kyrielle d’actions a donc d’j’ ‘t’ men’e, avec plus de 2.000 organisations impliqu’es ‘ travers la r’gion. Le 22 mai, des Nuits du Dialogue se tiendront un peu partout d’Alexandrie ‘ Ath’nes et de Rabat ‘ Palerme'” (www.lepetitjournal.com). ↑ fuq

European Literature Today – Reading in Cairo and Alexandria Egyptian poet Fatma Naoot prepares her reading of Adrian Grima’s poems in Arabic Adrian Grima was invited to Egypt in May to read his poetry in Cairo and Alexandria. The other poets were Sylvia Geist (Germany), Jaan Kaplinski (Estonia), Marta Pessarrodona (Catalonia) and Fatima Naoot (Egypt). These events were organized by Literature Across Frontiers with the support of the Anna Lindh Foundation (1001 Actions for Dialogue) and in cooperation with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Goethe Institut Cairo, Estonian Literature Centre, and Institut Ramon Llull. Inizjamed is the Maltese partner in Literature Across Frontiers. Adrian Grima’s visit was supported by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. At the Goethe Institut in Cairo (Saturday, 17 May 2008, 19:00 ‘ 20:30), Adrian Grima read his poems “Ħallejt Ġenbejk fuq Ruħi,” “Qamar,” “Kieku Kelli Lanċa Żgħira” and “It-Traġedja ta’ l-Iljunfant Li Ried Jidħol f’Gaġġa ta’ l-Għasafar” in Maltese, while Fatima Naoot read the Arabic version (by Walid Nabhan). The evening of poetry moderated by Alexandra B’chler In the Conference Centre Theatre of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Sunday, 18 May 2008, 19:30 ‘ 21:00), Adrian Grima read “Ħallejt Ġenbejk fuq Ruħi,” “Kieku Kelli Lanċa Żgħira,” and “It-Traġedja ta’ l-Iljunfant Li Ried Jidħol f’Gaġġa ta’ l-Għasafar” in Maltese, and “Qamar?” in English (“Moon?” translated by Maria Grech Ganado). He also read “fwd. midnight invasion” to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Nakba (or Catastrophe) of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people killed and displaced in 1948 and 400 villages razed to the ground. The Arabic version of these poems by Walid Nabhan were read by the Egyptian poet Fatima Naoot Literature Across Frontiers is celebrating the Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 with a landmark exchange of literary culture between Europe and the Arab World. A collection of contemporary books is being donated to the Alexandria Library to highlight the linguistic and literary diversity of today’s Europe. Adrian Grima presented a number of books of Maltese Literature translated into English on behalf of Inizjamed and Midsea Books to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. ↑ fuq

Studju dwar il-Mediterran ippubblikat fi ktieb l-Italja F’Mejju id-dar tal-pubblikazzjoni Rubbettino (Catanzaro) ippubblikat il-ktieb Paesi e popoli del Mediterraneo. VII Rapporto sul Mediterraneo, editjat minn Bruno Amoroso, Gianfranco Nicolais u Nino Lisi. Dan il-ktieb fih studju tiegħi bl-isem ta’ “L’arte della traduzione e la costruzione di un altro Mediterraneo” fit-tieni parti tal-ktieb, dik li tiffoka fuq kulturi u soċjetajiet ċivili fil-baċir tal-Mediterran. Tista’ taqrah hawnhekk: L-istudji kollha f’dan il-ktieb huma dawn: Adriano Giannola, Prefazione Bruno Amoroso, Introduzione PARTE PRIMA Bruno Amoroso, Nino Lisi, Gianfranco Nicolais, Culture mediterranee e modernit’ europea PARTE SECONDA Culture e societ’ civili nel bacino del Mediterraneo Arrigo Chieregatti, L’interculturalit’ nel Mediterraneo Adrian Grima, L’arte della traduzione e la costruzione di un altro Mediterraneo Fabio Alberti, Sandro Guiglia, Alcune note sulla societ’ civile nel Mediterraneo PARTE TERZA Politica estera e cooperazione economica Gianfranco Nicolais, Pierfrancesco Polidori, La politica estera del nuovo governo italiano e il Mediterraneo fra l’Europa e le regioni: realt’ e prospettive Andrea Amato, A proposito dell’Unione Mediterranea Indagine CESPI, La proiezione del Mezzogiorno italiano nel Mediterraneo. Alcuni fatti stilizzati e prospettive future PARTE QUARTA La logistica nel Mediterraneo Pietro Spirito, Politiche e strategie per l amobilit’ delle merci nel Mezzogiorno Francesco Saverio Coppola, Alessandro Panaro, Anna Arianna Buonfanti, Il ruolo della logistica per lo sviluppo del Mezzogiorno nell’area Med PARTE QUINTA Per un benessere condiviso: obiettivi e metodologie per la cooperazione fra le regioni dell’Europa meridionale e i paesi della sponda Sud Tonino Perna, Mezzogiorno e Mediterraneo: divergenze attuali e convergenze possibili Francesco Saverio Coppola, Salvio Capasso, Olimpia Ferrara, Le filiere produttive del Mezzogiorno d’Italia: competitivit’, innovazione e sentieri di sviluppo Gabriele Di Stefano, Lo sviluppo locale: metodologie e strumenti Nino Lisi, Note preliminari per un Progetto di Co-sviluppo nel Mediterraneo. L’idea progettuale e la metodologia dell’intervento. Il-ktieb ġie ppreżentat fil-pubbliku, fost l-oħrajn, f’Lamezia Terme, Al Piccolo del Teatro Grandinetti, nhar il-Ġimgħa 23 ta’ Mejju, b’introduzzjonjiet ta’ Giacinto Marra u Mimmo Rizzuti tas-Sinistra Euromediterranea u b’koordinazzjoni ta’ Matteo Cosenza, editur ta’ Quotidiano. Fid-diskussjoni ħadu sehem bosta akkademiċi, artisti u attivisti magħrufin, fosthom Piero Polimeni, Faryd Adly, Enzo Scandurra, Tonino Perna, u Karim Hannachi. Qabel il-preżentazzjoni tar-Rapport intwera l-film Ritorni di Giovanna Taviani, bis-sehem ta’ Karim Hannachi. ↑ fuq

Living Life in a Language Article about the Mediterranean published in London The London-based magazine Europa, published by European Alternatives, featured my article “Living Life in a Language” in its May/June issue. The article is based on a talk I gave at a congress on culture in Europe held during the London Festival of Europe in March 2008 which was also organized by European Alternatives. The issue also includes interviews with Danilo Zolo, a leading author about the Mediterranean and co-editor of the important volume L’alternativa mediterranea (2007), and Claudio Magris. “Even though the new generation of writers is eager to distinguish the dynamics of writing literature, of re-describing the world by reconstructing language, from those of promoting the use of the Maltese language and acting as guardians of its well-being, writing in Malta today is intimately tied to questions of language. When Malta joined the EU in 2004, it opened up new possibilities for the consolidation and promotion of its literature in Maltese. However, we have not yet come to terms with this new situation and taken full advantage of it. Inizjamed, the voluntary organization that I coordinate, has been active on the local, Mediterranean and European level, but there is still no national strategy or local infrastructure for the promotion of Maltese literature.” “How to Make Europe Dream? A Cultural Congress,” was held at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London. After the Congress I was asked to sit on the Advisory Board of European Alternatives, which I accepted. From: Antoine Cassar To: Adrian Grima Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 2:55 PM Subject: Re: Living Life in a Language – Europa Those “who tend to the imagination,” like philosophers, writers and other artists, “have the responsibility for caring for the resources which hold our communities together.” (mill-artiklu “Living Life in a Language“) Għażiż Adrian, Naqbel mija fil-mija mal-kliem ta’ Niccol’ Milanese. F’dawn l-aħħar sentejn sirt aktar konvint tar-responsabbilt’ mill-aktar neċessarja tal-kittieb, u partikolarment tal-ħtieġa li jrabbi fih u fil-qarrejja kuxjenza soċjali u umana li tisboq kull fruntiera. L-estetika waħedha mhix biżżejjed. Fil-każ tal-mużajki, ma ngħidx li l-ewwel sensiela li ktibt bħala divertimento u espressjoni personali (fosthom “C’est la vie” u “Ciao amore ciao,” l-aktar tnejn li s’issa qrajt fil-pubbliku) m’għadnix nidentifika ruħi magħhom, iżda m’għadhomx daqshekk għal qalbi. Sirt niffoka aktar fuq il-messaġġ, b’mod li l-forma, il-ħsejjes u r-ritmi jkunu l-mezz u anki parti mill-fond, iżda mhux il-fond kollu. F’Bari [Bjennali ta’ l-Artisti Żgħażagħ mill-Ewopa u l-Mediterran, Mejju 2008] qrajt erba’ mużajki, u ħadt pjaċir nara li l-aktar wieħed li ntgħoġob kien mużajk dwar Budapest, u dwar kif fil-qabża mill-komuniżmu għall-konsumiżmu l-belt donnha ttrasformat ruħha f’billboard enormi. (Jekk trid issibha hawn: http://muzajk.blogspot.com/2005/08/dunnl-taln-budapest-g.html). Minn dik il-poeżija ‘l hawn, inħoss li ma’ kull waħda li nikteb qed niċċara ftit aktar il-pożizzjoni tiegħi, mingħajr ma nespliċitaha żżejjed. F’oħra jisimha “H’z’n2 (qiegħda wkoll fuq is-sit, ktibtha wara żjara Istanbul) ippruvajt nirritratta d-dekadenza ta’ l-eżotiku, jew id-dekadenza bħala l-identit’ ta’ belt li tbati bin-nostalġija ta’ l-imperu. Naħseb li hija l-ewwel poeżija tiegħi fejn il-jien ma jidhirx, jew jidher biss bħala osservatur. Li tneħħi l-jien mill-kitba tiegħek naħseb li hu riskju kbir, għax b’hekk il-kitba tonqos faċilment mill-korporeit’. Issa appik li nlesti oħra dwar l-oriġni tal-lingwaġġ, speċi ta’ manifest u stedina biex il-bnedmin kollha jiċċelebraw dak l-element li għandna in komuni u li jagħżilna mill-bqija ta’ l-annimali – il-kelma. Ta’ din it-taħrika lejn poeżija aktar impenjata, għandi nistqarr li l-aktar poeti li qed jixprunawni huma Neruda u Walt Whitman, fost oħrajn. Għandi nirringrazzja lilek ukoll, għax Rakkmu u Dir-Rebbiegħa Midruba ġegħluni nirrifletti ħafna fuq ir-reazzjonijiet tiegħi u l-mod kif inħares lejn il-peripezji ta’ l-essri uman. Antoine

Pjazzetta | 18 ta’ Mejju 2008 Nr 81 Adrian Grima f’Londra u l-Alġiers Il-letteratura f’Malta: nara nuqqas ta’ interess u konvinzjoni, kultant anki biża’ Franica Pulis fpulis@mediatoday.com.mt F’Marzu li għadda l-poeta Adrian Grima kien mistieden jaqra xi xogħlijiet tiegħu f’Londra għal-London Festival of Europe u wara fl-Alġiers għal laboratorju residenzjali tat-traduzzjoni u qari fil-pubbliku. F’dawn iż-żewġ żjarat ikkonferma ‘li f’pajjiżna l-letteratura, speċjalment il-poeżija kontemporanja imma mhux biss, mhix rispettata daqskemm jistħoqqilha. ‘Ir-responsabbilt’ ewlenija għal din is-sitwazzjoni hi ta’ l-awtoritajiet tal-pajjiż u dan miniex ngħidu għax faċli twaħħal fl-‘awtoritajiet’. Qed ngħid hekk għax meta nqabbel dak li jagħmlu l-istituzzjonijiet ta’ pajjiżi oħrajn, anki iżgħar minna, ma’ dak li jagħmlu tagħna, f’Malta nara nuqqas ta’ interess u konvinzjoni, u kultant anki biża’, għax il-letteratura kontemporanja tqanqal l-ilma qiegħed, taħsad u tisfida l-ordni stabbilit.’ Għal Grima l-laboratorji tat-traduzzjoni jservu biex ilaqqgħuh mill-qrib ma’ kitbiet u kittieba oħrajn kif ukoll jistimulawh biex jikteb peress li l-qari hu l-akbar ispirazzjoni għalih bħala kittieb. ‘Kulmeta naqra xi ħaġa li tqanqalni mil-lat ta’ kontenut, forma u stil, nitlebleb biex nikteb jien ukoll, anki jekk nittratta suġġetti differenti. Għalkemm il-kitba hi essenzjalment attivit’ individwali, il-laboratorju kreattiv ilaqqgħek mal-kitba tiegħek stess, kapaċi jisfidaha u jġiegħlek tesperimenta u b’hekk ġieli taqleb dak kollu li għamilt ta’ taħt fuq. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, il-kitba tal-letteratura mhix dak li tikteb imma l-mod kif tikteb, li effettivament isawwar dak li tikteb. Kemm hu importanti li jsiru traduzzjonijiet tal-poeżija? Jekk il-prodott Malti mhux stmat, kemm se jkun stmat dak barrani? ‘Hu fundamentali li nittraduċu x-xogħlijiet ta’ kittieba barranin mhux biss għax għandna bżonn inkunu nafu x’qed jikteb ħaddieħor, speċjalment kif inħoss jien fil-Mediterran, imma anki għaliex it-traduzzjoni tgħinna nġeddu l-letteratura u l-lingwa letterarja tagħna. ‘Barra minn hekk, minkejja li 62 fil-mija tal-Maltin jistqarru li jippreferu jaqraw bl-Ingliż, hawn ħafna għatx għal xogħlijiet tajbin bil-Malti. L-Iżlanda, b’popolazzjoni iżgħar minn tagħna u b’attivit’ editorjali straordinarja bl-Iżlandiż, tista’ sservi bħala mudell eċċellenti għalina.’ Dwar il-Mediterran, li kien it-tema f’Londra diskussa bejn poeti ġejjin mill-Italja, Portugall, Marokk u Malta, Grima jipprova jifhem ‘għaliex il-Maltin taw daharhom lill-Mediterran u għaliex ħassruh mill-mappa ta’ l-immaġinarju tagħhom. Biex nimxu ‘l quddiem bħala poplu, bħala ċittadini ta’ l-Ewropa u tad-dinja, irridu fost l-oħrajn nagħrfu u ninħelsu minn dan l-għeluq u minn dan ir-rifjut tagħna. ‘Il-letteratura tista’ sservi bħala ispirazzjoni u mutur għal dan il-proċess ta’ skopert’ mill-ġdid ta’ l-istorja u tal-preġudizzji tagħna. Fl-artiklu tiegħi nargumenta li l-bini mill-ġdid ta’ relazzjoni mill-qrib mal-Mediterran jista’ jgħinna fi proċess ta’ dekolonizzazzjoni li bdejnieh imma donnu ma temmejniehx.’ http://www.illum.com.mt/2008/05/18/pjazzetta.html ↑ fuq

Intervista ta’ Franica Pulis ma’ Adrian Grima għall-gazzetta Illum (l-intervista sħiħa) F’Marzu kont mistieden Londra għal-London Festival of Europe u wara l-Alġiers għal laboratorju residenzjali tat-traduzzjoni u qari fil-pubbliku. F’dawn iż-żewġ żjarat, u kull darba li nsiefer, nikkonferma li f’pajjiżna l-letteratura, speċjalment il-poeżija kontemporanja imma mhux biss, mhix irrispettata daqskemm jistħoqqilha. Ir-responsabbilt’ ewlenija għal din is-sitwazzjoni hija ta’ l-awtoritajiet tal-pajjiż u dan miniex ngħidu għax faċli twaħħal fl-‘awtoritajiet.” Qed ngħid hekk għax meta nqabbel dak li jagħmlu l-istituzzjonijiet ta’ pajjiżi oħrajn, anki iżgħar minnha, ma’ dak li jagħmlu tagħna, f’Malta nara nuqqas ta’ interess u konvinzjoni, u kultant anki biża’, għax il-letteratura kontemporanja tqanqal l-ilma qiegħed, taħsad, tisfida l-ordni stabbilit. Il-workshops kemm iservu ta’ ispirazzjoni għal xogħlijiet futuri tiegħek? Il-laboratorji tat-traduzzjoni jlaqqgħuni mill-qrib ma’ kitbiet u kittieba oħrajn, u l-qari huwa l-akbar ispirazzjoni għalija bħala kittieb. Kull meta naqra xi ħaġa li tqanqalni, kemm mil-lat ta’ kontenut kif ukoll mil-lat ta’ forma, ta’ stil, nitlebleb biex nikteb jien ukoll, anki jekk nittratta suġġetti differenti. Il-laboratorji tal-kitba kreattiva jistimulawni wkoll, sew jekk inkun qed immexxihom jien u sew jekk ikun qed imexxi ħaddieħor. Għax għalkemm il-kitba hija essenzjalment attivit’ individwali, il-laboratorju kreattiv ilaqqgħek mal-kitba tiegħek stess, kapaċi jisfidaha u jġiegħlek tesperimenta u b’hekk ġieli taqleb dak kollu li għamilt ta’ taħt fuq. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, il-kitba tal-letteratura mhix dak li tikteb imma l-mod kif tikteb (li effettivament isawwar dak li tikteb). Kemm hu importanti li jsiru traduzzjonijiet tal-poeżija? La l-prodott Malti mhux stmat, taħseb li se nistmaw dak barrani? Huwa fundamentali li nittraduċu x-xogħlijiet ta’ kittieba barranin mhux biss għax għandna bżonn inkunu nafu x’qed jikteb ħaddieħor, speċjalment (inħoss jien) fil-Mediterran, imma anki għaliex it-traduzzjoni tgħinna nġeddu l-letteratura u l-lingwa letterarja tagħna. Barra minn hekk, minkejja li 62% tal-Maltin jistqarru li jippreferu jaqraw bl-Ingliż, hawn ħafna għatx għal xogħlijiet tajbin bil-Malti. L-Iżlanda, b’popolazzjoni iżgħar minn tagħna u b’attivit’ editorjali straordinarja bl-Iżlandiż, tista’ sservi bħala mudell eċċellenti għalina. X’inhi r-realt’ tal-Mediterran? Kif iħarsu lejha l-poeti l-oħra: Taljan, Portugiż, Marokkin? Dan l-aħħar ktibt artiklu għal proġett ta’ riċerka ta’ l-Universit’ tagħna dwar “Precariousness and the Erasure of the Mediterranean.” Fih nipprova nifhem għaliex il-Maltin taw daharhom lill-Mediterran, għaliex ħassruh mill-mappa ta’ l-immaġinarju tagħhom. Biex nimxu ‘l quddiem bħala poplu, bħala ċittadini ta’ l-Ewropa u tad-dinja, irridu, fost l-oħrajn, nagħrfu u ninħelsu minn dan l-għeluq, minn dan ir-rifjut tagħna. Il-letteratura tista’ sservi għala ispirazzjoni u mutur għal dan il-proċess ta’ skoperta mill-ġdid ta’ l-istorja u l-preġudizzji tagħna. Fl-artiklu tiegħi nargumenta li l-bini mill-ġdid ta’ relazzjoni mill-qrib mal-Mediterran jista’ jgħinha fi proċess ta’ dekolonizzazzjoni li bdejnieh imma donnu ma temmejniehx. Is-7 ta’ Mejju, 2008 ↑ fuq

The Taste of the Mediterranean and other Kinnies Dr. Adrian Grima will be presenting a paper on “The Taste of the Mediterranean and other Kinnies” on Monday 12th May at 11.00am at the Third Mediterranean Society of Comparative Education Conference which this year will deal with Intercultural Dialogue through Education. This international event will be held at the Dolmen Resort Hotel in Qawra, Malta, between 11th and 13th May 2008. Dr. Grima will also chairing the session which will deal with “Schooling in the Mediterranean, Europe and Beyond.” There are two broad conference themes, namely, “Intercultural Dialogue within and across Nations” and “Education in the Mediterranean.” The conference convenors are Dr. Carmel Borg and Professor Peter Mayo of the University of Malta. “In a way,” writes Adrian Grima in his abstract, “the Mediterranean is the victim of its own success. As one of the world’s leading, if not the leading region for tourism, the Mediterranean narrates itself in ways that are meant to attract the outsider, but it inevitably distracts the insider, selling a stereotypical image of itself to everyone, including itself, that does not allow it to look itself in the eyes, to venture beyond the grand narratives of passion, siesta climate, sun-sea landscape and quaint culture that it sells. Selling the Mediterranean is big business. The First Medlink Report (2006) talks about this basin as ‘the main tourist attraction on the planet’ visited by something like 132 million tourists, both foreign and local, in 1990 and possibly by a staggering 312 million in 2025. In 2002 this ‘true invasion’ of foreign tourists alone generated an income of 134 billion dollars. Moreover, as the locus par excellence, as the pundits would have it, of political, cultural and religious conflict, discourse about the Mediterranean is plagued by clich’s and empty words about building bridges and bringing people together, about partnerships and unions, about free trade areas and collaboration in different areas. In Malta, the Mediterranean becomes part of our discourse only when it sells, in terms of politics and/or economics. The grand narrative of the Mediterranean is inevitably bound to tourism, normally mass tourism, and building bridges between peoples. There is little public interest (that is outside the realm of academia and niche cultural initiatives) in scraping the surface of these clich’s, in exploring centuries’ old links, in treating cultural, political and environmental issues regionally. Most Maltese would find it difficult to name even a handful of major political or cultural figures, like, for example writers, living in the region today. The aspirations of the Maltese lie further north. This paper deals with common representations of the Mediterranean in such diverse areas such as advertising and Maltese literature. It asks whether an understanding of the stereotypes about the region allows for a better understanding of the region itself and whether people want to search beyond.” ↑ fuq

Adrian Grima fl-Alġerija Parti mill-wirja ta’ xogħlijiet fil-bitha tas-Centre Culturel Fran’ais ta’ l-Alġiers. Tidher ukoll it-traduzzjoni ta’ Elizabeth Grech ta’ “Illejla, Jekk Trid” (“Ce soir si tu veux”) Il-poeta Malti Adrian Grima kien mistieden l-Alġerija f’Marzu biex jaqra l-poeżiji tiegħu f’żewġ avvenimenti letterarji internazzjonali fil-Gallerija ta’ l-arti ta’ Farid Benyaa u fiċ-Ċentru Kulturali Franċiż ta’ l-Alġiers u biex jieħu sehem f’laboratorju ta’ ġimgħa ta’ traduzzjoni letterarja li fiha awturi minn bosta pajjiżi ttraduċew ix-xogħlijiet ta’ xulxin. It-traduzzjonijiet mill-Malti għall-Franċiż tal-poeżiji ta’ Adrian Grima li ntużaw f’dan il-laboratorju u nqraw fiż-żewġ avvenimenti letterarji saru minn Elizabeth Grech. Iż-żewġ avvenimenti pubbliċi, b’tifkira tal-poeta Alġerin Djamal Amrani, “A Front-tiers de po’sie. Clin d’oeil ‘ Djamal Amrani,” ġew organizzati mill-għaqda kulturali Alġerina Cadmos, immexxija mill-kittieba Samira Negrouche, bil-kollaborazzjoni ta’ Literature Across Frontiers u l-Istitut Superjuri Għarbi tat-Traduzzjoni ta’ l-Alġiers. Dawn l-attivitajiet ġew irrappurtati fil-gazzetti u saret intervista ta’ nofs siegħa ma’ tnejn mill-kittieba fuq l-istazzjon nazzjonali tat-televiżjoni Alġerin. Din kienet inizjattiva ta’ l-organizzazzjoni Ewropea Literature Across Frontiers. Inizjamed tirrappreżenta lil Malta f’dan il-proġett. Il-poeti li ħadu sehem fil-qari u fil-laboratorju tat-traduzzjoni kienu Mohammed Al Amraoui [Maroc/France], Achour Fenni [Alg’rie], Adrian Grima [Malte], Brane Mozetič [Slov’nie], Samira Negrouche [Alg’rie], Sigurdur P’lsson [Islande], Josep Piera [Catalogne], u Brahim Tazaghart [Alg’rie]. Il-laboratorju tmexxa minn Alexandra B’chler, traduttriċi professjonali (Ingliż, Ċek, Grieg) u direttriċi ta’ Literature Across Frontiers. Il-poeżiji li qara Adrian Grima bil-Malti kienu “Illejla, Jekk Trid,” “L-Imħabba bħal Murtal,” “Distanzi,” u “Taħt iż-Żebbuġa Xiħa.” Apparti t-traduzzjonijiet għall-Franċiż ta’ Elizabeth Grech, inqrat ukoll traduzzjoni għat-Tamazight ta’ Brahim Tazaghart ta’ “Illejla, Jekk Trid” u traduzzjoni għall-Għarbi ta’ Mohammed Al Amraoui tal-poeżija “Distanzi.” Fiċ-Ċentru Kulturali Franċiż il-poeti mistednin kollha qraw poeżija ta’ Djamal Amrani tradotta fil-lingwa tagħhom, fosthom il-Malti. Kamel Aderkichi u Adrian Grima waqt il-provi fil-Gallerija ta’ l-Arti ta’ Farid Benyaa ↑ fuq

Maltese Poems in Hungary on Poetry Day On 11th April, which is Poetry Day in Hungary, the Hungarian translator M’rta Patak publishes poems in various parts of the village where she lives, in bus top stations, on trees and in the offices of public institutions. This year she decided to focus on contemporary European poetry. M’rta P’vai Patak translated my poem “Torturi” from my first book, It-Trumbettier, and “L-Imħabba bħal Murtal.” My poem “Ramallah” appeared in Hungarian together with an interview by Karsten Xuereb in the literary magazine Ex Symposion (2007). M’rta Patak has translated the following contemporary Spanish works of poetry into Hungarian: Carmen Laforet, Nada; Nuria Amat, Reina de Am’rica; Bernardo Atxaga, El hombre solo; Jes’s Ferrero, ‘ngeles del abismo; Julia Otxoa, Un extra?o env’o (cuentos); and Rafael S’nchez Ferlosio, El Jarama. She also plans to publish translations of contemporary Greek and Cypriot poetry. ↑ fuq

Adrian Grima at the London Festival of Europe Writer and academic Adrian Grima was invited to London in March to read a story he co-authored with Italian writer Valerio Cruciani at the Italian Cultural Institute in London as part of the London Festival of Europe organised by European Alternatives. The reading was accompanied by improvisations on the cello by Greek musician Vicky Steiri. (Picture from film by Melinda McCarthy) The evening called “Mediterranean Suggestions” also featured the well-known poets Casimiro De Brito from Portugul and Hassan el Ouazzani from Morocco, both of whom have read at major international poetry festivals like that in Medellin, Colombia. The readings were followed by an open discussion about the Mediterranean, chaired by Niccol’ Milanese of European Alternatives, between the writers and the audience which packed into the main hall of the Institute. Adrian Grima spoke, among other things, about the Mediterranean as a plurality of voices and about how artists in the region are working together, even though the media reduces it to a basin of unending conflict and irreconcilable differences. However, he also agreed fully with Hassan el Ouazzani that whilst the Europeans have relatively easy access to the southern shores of the Mediterraneans, the southerners face disheartening and sometimes humiliating obstacles to meet up with with artists on the northern shores of the regions. Dr. Grima also argued that the Mediterranean can, in some ways, be seen as a microcosm of the world, and that if the people in this region manage to collaborate in a meaningful way their success story can serve as a model for true dialogue in other parts of the world. The reading coincided with “Mediterraneo: A Sea that Unites,” an exhibition by artists of the Mediterranean Coastal States at the Institute until March 25th. The event was held in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute and with support by the Arts Council of England. Adrian Grima was also invited to read a paper at the closing two-day event of the London Festival of Europe, “How to Make Europe Dream? A Cultural Congress,” which was held at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, London. The first day considered the implications and potential of transnationalism in the arts and literature in Europe. The second day dealt with the relationship between the arts and politics, with a specific focus on the European unification project. Adrian Grima made his presentation in the first workshop on “Language, point of view, audience, overture.” The question that Adrian Grima sought to answer was one of those posed by the organizers in the blurb to this workshop: Must the writer think beyond any particular language? He gave an overview of the complex language situation in Malta, with Maltese as both the national and majority language and English as one of the two official languages, and then moved on to talk about literature. Maltese literature is understood to be literature written in Maltese but some 60% of the Maltese prefer to read in English. He said that as a writer, he cannot think beyond Maltese and that when he is writing he does not take account of how his work will sound when it is translated into another language because he perceives of literary translation as a recreation, and not a reproduction, of his work in other languages, and that can only be done by literary translators or writers whose literary language is not Maltese. His paper then went on to refer to a set of proposals by a team of experts commissioned by the EU and published in 2008 about how the EU can promote languages in Europe. Adrian Grima argued that moves in this direction would benefit the different literatures in the EU greatly. One of the subjects that was tackled in another workshop on Sunday was that of engagement and the arts. Adrian Grima argued that there are many ways of being an artist, of interacting with society. He feels that as a writer he should be engaged, that he should take a position on issues which he considers important. But he also believes that that is not the only way to be an artist, and that other, less overtly engaged artists, are in no way shirking their responsibilies. After all, the act of writing is, in itself, a political act, and when a writer chooses to ignore what is happening around him or her, that too is a political act. The panels and audience included well-known writers, academics and intellectuals. On Saturday, prize-winning poet George Szirtes took active part in the proceedings, even though he was not one of the panelists. Both Adrian Grima and George Szirtes were involved in the Klandestini Mediterranean creating writing project organized by Inizjamed in collaboration with the British Council and St. James Cavalier in 2003-04. ↑ fuq

Juan Mamo u s-Sigrieti ta’ Wlied in-Nanna Venut Fl-aħħar ħarġa ta’ Il-Malti, ir-rivista ta’ l-Akkademja tal-Malti (LXXIX, 2007), hemm artiklu tiegħi dwar ir-rumanz ta’ Juan Mamo, Ulied in-Nanna Venut fl-Amerka. Dan l-artiklu, “Juan Mamo u s-Sigrieti ta’ Wlied in-Nanna Venut,” li nkiteb u ntbagħat għall-istampar qabel il-pubblikazzjoni tal-bijografija ta’ Mamo maħruġa minn Francis Galea (Juan Mamo. Ħajtu u Ħilietu, SKS, 2007), ninterpreta t-tmiem tar-rumanz fid-dawl ta’ dak li jseħħ qabel fl-istorja u dak li jirrakkonta Mamo f’uħud min-novelli tiegħu. Din li ġejja hija silta minn dan l-artiklu ta’ sebat elef kelma. “Forsi l-ikbar ironija (traġika) fid-disinn ta’ Mamo tinsab fil-fatt li l-poplu maħqur u mneżża’ minn kull dinjit’ mill-klassi pprivileġġjata jispiċċa jinfexx fih innifsu: il-fqar jispiċċaw jeħduha kontra xulxin minflok kontra dawk li kellhom id-dmir li jgħinuhom biex jemanċipaw ruħhom imma m’għamlu xejn ħlief abbużaw minnhom. Fin-novella ‘F’Tarf il-Mazzita ż-Żbiba!’ il-karozza li ttajjar lill-erba’ seksieka hija assoċjata mas-sinjuri u l-qtil huwa involontarju, iżda fir-rumanz il-massakru huwa mfassal sew u jkun ilu jinħema żmien twil. Fiż-żewġ kitbiet il-mewt mhux mistennija, anki ta’ l-erba’ emigranti fir-rumanz li jmutu f’inċidenti separati qabel ma jaslu lura Malta, donnha tikkastigahom tan-nuqqas ta’ ħila tagħhom li jemanċipaw irwieħhom (u l-isem ħażin li jagħtu lil ġenshom). Minkejja l-pożizzjoni differenti ta’ Mamo, nistgħu ninterpretaw il-vjolenza assurda ta’ tmiem ir-rumanz bħala konsegwenza wkoll tal-vjolenza tal-kolonizzazzjoni, tal-mod kif il-poplu Malti huma mċaħħad mill-ħila li jinħeles mill-poteri kollha li hemm fuqu: il-klassi l-għolja Maltija, il-Knisja u l-Imperu Ingliż li għalih Malta kienet biss fortizza b’portijiet tajbin f’nofs il-Mediterran. Bħall-imperi kollha, il-Gran Brittanja kienet tħares l-interessi tagħha fl-artijiet li ħatfet taħt idejha permezz tas-sistema tad-‘divide and rule,’ tifred l-ikkolonizzati biex tkun tista’ taħkimhom aħjar. Nafu wkoll li l-awtoritajiet Brittaniċi f’Malta kienu jagħtu l-ispazju lill-Knisja Kattolika biex permezz tagħha jikkonsolidaw il-preżenza tagħhom. Imma dawn mhumiex konsiderazzjonijiet li jidhru fir-rumanz għax bħala bniedem b’ideat liberali (u progressivi) ġej minn familja fqira, bil-ħakma Ingliża f’Malta, kif jgħid Mamo stess, kien iħossu ‘ħieles.’ U għalhekk it-tmiem imdemmi ma tfassalx bħala kundanna tal-vjolenza u l-inġustizzji tal-kolonizzazzjoni, għalkemm dan ma jżommniex milli naqraw lilhinn mill-pożizzjoni magħrufa ta’ Mamo, għax it-test, għalkemm kitbu hu, huwa tagħna l-qarrejja wkoll li mingħajrna ma jistax ‘iseħħ.’ Il-kundizzjonijiet soċjali fis-seklu 19 u l-bidu tas-seklu 20 kienu ħżiena għall-maġġoranza tal-Maltin li ħafna minnhom batew il-ġuħ. Din is-sitwazzjoni mwiegħra kienet titqies bħala konsegwenza tal-politika kolonjali Brittanika, u l-kolonizzaturi ma kienx jinteressahom mill-qagħda ta’ l-abitanti.” Dwar Mamo tkellimt diversi drabi fil-pubbliku, fosthom fl-Universit’ ta’ Malta (Works in Progress seminar series 2002), fil-Kavallier ta’ San Ġakbu (2006), fil-Każin ta’ l-Għaqda Mużikali Sant’Andrija (2005), u f’San Juan, Puerto Rico, fil-Karibew, f’konferenza annwali ta’ l-American Comparative Literature Association (2002). ↑ fuq

Malta General Elections on Babelmed Babelmed has published my article about the general election held in Malta on March 8, 2008. “In a general election held on Saturday, 8 March, almost 300,000 Maltese voters returned the Christian Democrats, who have governed Malta almost uninterruptedly since 1987. The governing Nationalist Party received 49.33% of the national vote while the Malta Labour Party gained 48.8%. Alternattiva Demokratika ‘ The Green Party received 1.3% whilst the five-month-old Far Right party Azzjoni Nazzjonali (National Action), with its anti-immigrant, smaller State and pro-business agenda, garnered 0.5 per cent of the votes.” (Picture by Adrian Grima) [Read “Malta elections: the return of Lawrence Gonzi”] ↑ fuq

Balzmatur f’idejn il-Falkun Riċensjoni ta’ Eklissi Perpetwi ta’ Achille Mizzi fuq Illum Nhar il-Ħadd, 16 ta’ Marzu, 2008, il-gazzetta tal-Ħadd Illum ippubblikat ir-riċensjoni tiegħi tal-ktieb ta’ poeżiji ta’ Achille Mizzi Eklissi Perpetwi (KKM, 2007). Din ir-riċensjoni hija silta mid-diskors li kont għamilt fit-tnedija tal-ktieb waqt il-Fiera tal-Ktieb f’Novembru 2007. Din hija silta: “Dawk li fil-mija u għaxar poeżiji ta’ Eklissi Perpetwi miktubin fuq medda ta’ għaxar snin bejn l-1997 u l-2006 qed jistennew li jisimgħu l-vuċi qawwija, tingħaraf, ta’ poeta prolifiku li xandar seba’ ġabriet ta’ poeżiji fl-erbgħin sena bejn l-1967 u l-2007 mhux se jiddiżappuntaw ruħhom. Fid-daħla tiegħu din il-ġabra ta’ Achille Mizzi, Oliver Friggieri jistqarr li m’għandu xejn xi jżid ma’ dak li kien kiteb fid-daħla ta’ l-antoloġija bl-isem ta’ Poeżiji li ħarġet fl-1993, 14-il sena qabel. F’Eklissi Perpetwi hemm il-leħen ta’ Achille Mizzi kollu kemm hu: il-lingwa ‘klassika,’ bl-inverżjonijiet sintattiċi, l-anafora retorika, it-tematika ‘għolja.’ Hemm ir-ritmi mill-isbaħ tal-versi; l-armonija fil-ħsejjes (anki meta jkunu ibsin, jaħbtu ma’ xulxin); il-vuċi magħrufa (u f’dan is-sens kultant prevedibbli); is-sekwenza ta’ xbihat u metafori donnhom ma jaqtgħu xejn.” ↑ fuq

Adrian Grima u l-letteratura fuq Reporter Nhar l-Erbgħa, 19 ta’ Marzu, 2008, l-istazzjon televiżiv nazzjonali TVM xandar intervista dwar il-letteratura u l-edukazzjoni li għamilli Kurt Sansone għall-programm Reporter fil-21 ta’ Jannar 2008. Il-programm ma xxandarx qabel għax sadattant tħabbret id-data ta’ l-elezzjoni ġenerali u l-iskeda tal-programmi nbidlet minħabba l-kampanja elettorali. Kurt Sansone beda l-programm b’silta mill-poeżija tiegħi, “U l-Partiti Min Jiffinanzjahom?” u wara ddiskutejna r-rilevanza tal-poeżija u l-letteratura inġenerali llum, u l-mod kif l-iskola tinfluwenza l-idea tagħna tal-letteratura. ↑ fuq

Konferenza Nazzjonali dwar il-Qari Nhar is-Sibt, l-1 ta’ Marzu, 2008, jien se nkun wieħed mill-kelliema f’konferenza ta’ ġurnata dwar in-nuqqas ta’ qari f’Malta organizzata mill-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb. Il-Kunsill ħassu maħsud mill-istatistika mxerrda mill-Eurostat li qed tgħid li 45 fil-mija biss tal-poplu Malti qabdu ktieb matul is-sena l-oħra. Il-Konferenza ser tiġbor lill-partijiet kollha biex titfassal azzjoni nazzjonali favur il-ktieb. Dan is-seminar hu għall-għalliema, il-librara, il-politiċi, il-kunsilliera lokali, l-edukaturi, il-kittieba, il-pubblikaturi, u dawk kollha li jixtiequ jaraw il-ktieb fi stat aħjar. Is-seminar ser isir fil-Lukanda Coastline, is-Salini. Il-partecipanti huma mitluba li jħallsu 10 euro bħala registrazzjoni u għall-ikel ta’ nofsinhar. Fil-preżentazzjoni tiegħi se nagħti ftit tagħrif empiriku minn studji li saru dwar il-qari f’Malta u fl-Unjoni Ewropea, se nitkellem dwar il-Jeddijiet tal-Qarrejja u se nipproponi proġetti u inizjattivi biex jitkattar il-qari tal-kotba fil-gżejjer Maltin. Konferenza dwar il-Qari tal-Kotba f’Malta Is-Sibt, l-1 ta’ Marzu, 2008, il-Lukanda Coastline, is-Salini Programm Provviżorju tal-Konferenza 08.30 – Reġistrazzjoni u Kafe 09.00 – Ftuħ tal-Konferenza mill- President tal-KNK Dr Ġorġ Mallia 09.15 – Indirizz tal-Ministru ta’ l- Edukazzjoni Dr Louis Galea 09.30 – Indirizz mill-Kelliem ta’ l- Oppożizzjoni Carmelo Abela 09.45 – Intervent minn Dr Adrian Grima 10.00 – Intervent minn Dr Grace Grima 10.30 – Waqfa għall-Kafe 11.00 – Intervent mis-Sur Trevor Żahra 11.15 – Intervent mill-Professur Joe Friggieri 11.30 – Intervent mis-Sur Joseph Mizzi 11.45 – Spjegazzjoni ta’ x’ser isr wara nofs in-nhar 11.50 – Ikel 13.30 – Workshops 14.45 – Sessjoni Plenarja 16.00 – Għeluq tal-Konferenza

↑ fuq

Bandiera Ħamra Laqgħa ma’ l-Istudenti tal-Primarja C ta’ San Ġiljan Nhar il-Ġimgħa, 7 ta’ Marzu, 2008, l-Iskola Primarja ta’ San Ġiljan stednitni biex, bħala kittieb ta’ poeżiji u stejjer għat-tfal, niltaqa’ ma’ studenti tar-raba’ u tas-sitt klassi u ma’ wħud mill-ġenituri tagħhom. Kienet attivit’ interessanti għalija u t-tfal u l-ġenituri jidhru li ħadu gost biha (jew almenu hekk nittama). Din il-Laqgħa ma’ Awtur qsamnieha fi tlieta. Ħadt miegħi għadd ta’ kotba għat-tfal u tkellimt ftit fuqhom: kotba ta’ stejjer u kotba ta’ tagħrif, uħud minnhom bil-Malti u oħrajn bl-Ingliż. Il-kotba għandhom il-vantaġġ li tista’ teħodhom fejn trid, tista’ tagħżel liema trid, taqra li trid, tieqaf meta u kemm trid… Tista’ tidħol f’librerija u tagħżel ktieb li taħseb li jogħġbok u tieħdu lura meta tlesti minnu biex ikun jista’ jissellfu ħaddieħor. B’ħafna affarijiet oħra din ma ssirx. F’din l-ewwel parti tkellimna ftit fuq dawn l-affarijiet, fost l-oħrajn il-kotba li jogħġbu lit-tfal. Miegħi ħadt ukoll il-ktieb ta’ Daniel Pennac dwar il-jeddijiet tal-qarrejja u qrajthom lill-ġenituri. Pennac u bosta kittieba u edukaturi oħrajn jinsistu li l-kbar għandhom jibqgħu jaqraw lit-tfal tagħhom anki meta jikbru, meta jibdew jitfarfru. F’dan il-mument ta’ qari bejn il-ġenituri/il-kbar u t-tfal tinħoloq intinimit’ speċjali li t-tfal jibqgħu jgħożżu għal dejjem, u huwa l-ikbar stimolu biex it-tfal infushom jaqraw. Fit-tieni parti qrajtilhom storja li qatt ma dehret jew instemgħet fil-pubbliku, jisimha “Bandiera Ħamra.” Dak il-ħin ma indunajtx li t-titlu seta’ jinftiehem ħażin lejlet l-elezzjoni ġenerali, imma ħadd ma qal xejn! Wara tlabthom il-kummenti tagħhom. Nittama li din l-istorja tiġi ppubblikata fi ktieb li għandu joħroġ fix-xhur li ġejjin. wara qrajt ukoll l-istorja “Lilek Min Kellmek, Sieħbi?” li tinsab fil-ktieb Senduq Kuluri (Aħmar) li wħud mit-tfal kienu diġ’ jafuha għax qrawha l-iskola. Fit-tielet parti tal-laqgħa weġibt il-mistoqsijiet li ħejjew l-istudenti. Talbuni nitkellem dwar il-kotba u l-kittieba li jogħġbuni, dwar il-familja tiegħi, dwar meta nikteb, u għaliex, u dwar ħafna affarijiet oħrajn. Fl-aħħarnett nixtieq ngħid li l-istedina għamilhieli l-għalliem is-Sur Jonathan Portanier Mifsud, bl-appoġġ tal-kap ta’ l-Iskola, is-Sur A. Micallef.

Poeżijaplus 28 ta’ Jannar, 2007 Nhar it-Tnejn, 28 ta’ Jannar, 2007, kont mistieden biex naqra waqt Poeżijaplus fil-bitħa tat-Teatru Manoel fis-7.30 p.m. Qraw ix-xogħlijiet tagħhom, fost l-oħrajn, Louis Briffa, Charles Colerio, Maria Grech Ganado, Adrian Grima, Simone Inguanez, Ġorġ Peresso, Joe W. Psalia, Marlene Saliba, Karl Schembri, Andrew Sciberras, Leslie Vassallo, u Mary Anne Zammit. Bħalma jagħmlu dejjem f’Poeżijaplus, Vince Fabri u Walter Micallef kantaw uħud mill-għanjiet tagħhom. Minħabba li l-elezzjoni ġenerali f’Malta tinsab fil-qrib (kif inhi fl-Istati Uniti ta’ l-Amerika u aktarx l-Italja) għażilt li naqra żewġ xogħlijiet politiċi mit-tieni ġabra tiegħi (2006): “U l-Partiti Min Jiffinanzjahom?” u “Dakinhar Li Stqarr,” poeżiji li fil-fatt qatt ma kont qrajthom fil-pubbliku. Fl-istess lejla, Maria Grech Ganado tkellmet dwar il-pubblikazzjoni ta’ għażla ta’ poeżiji kontemporanji Maltin fuq ir-rivista letterarja fuq l-internet ibbazata l-Istati Uniti ta’ l-Amerika, The Drunken Boat. F’din l-antoloġija hemm artiklu qasir tiegħi dwar il-poeżija kontemporanja Maltija u xi poeżiji tradotti minn Maria Grech Ganado. ↑ fuq

New Maltese Poetry on The Drunken Boat A major new feature on contemporary Maltese poetry, edited by Maria Grech Ganado, has just been published by the US-based electronic literary magazine, The Drunken Boat (ISSN: 1530-7646). The Drunken Boat is owned and operated by Rebecca Seiferle. This special issue (Fall/Winter 2007 Vol.7 Issues III-IV) features short introductory articles by Maria Grech Ganado (“Contemporary Writing Scene in Malta “), Adrian Grima (“Maltese Literature ‘ The New Writing“) and Bernard Micallef (“Post-Independence Maltese Poetry ‘ An Overview“), and Selected Poetry by Norbert Bugeja, Lino Buhagiar, Antoine Cassar, Priscilla Cassar, Claudia Gauci, Sergio Grech, Maria Grech Ganado, Adrian Grima, Ċali Grima, Simone Inguanez, Roderick Mallia, Immanuel Mifsud, and Abigail Zammit. The poetry of most of the featured poets has been translated into English from the original in Maltese by Maria Grech Ganado. “Some would argue,” writes Adrian Grima, “that the new generation of writers that came to the forefront of the literary scene in Malta in the 1990s constitute ‘the New Wave Writers.’ In 2005 Paul Xuereb noted that Inizjamed (www.inizjamed.org), a literary group set up in 1998 that brings together a number of writers from the new generation, had ‘already made a perceptible impact on our young authors and readers’ and was ‘now coming more forcibly than before to the attention of older readers.’ Another literary group that has promoted innovative contemporary Maltese literature is Poeżijaplus (www.poezijaplus.com), whose regular monthly public readings often complement Inizjamed’s local and international creative writing projects.” ↑ fuq

Impenji 2008

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