Perceptions are, by their very nature, personal. They are dependent on mindset, environment and approach, and during this time of self-isolation, many are being faced with similar scenarios, but our perception and reaction to the current pandemic’s curve balls is personal.
Local author Clare Azzopardi and her relationship with literature took a slight detour in recent weeks – one that might be considered a creative awakening to inspire future works. Azzopardi’s relationship with literature started when she was very young – the growth and constant fuelling of her passion gave rise to the novels and short stories we know her for. Considering books as a part of your life is a magical aspect for any adult, let alone a curious child.
Strangely enough social confinement has affected my reading habits. I’m now reading many poetry books
“I have always enjoyed books. Since I was little, books were part of my life. I come from a family of teachers, so we always had books around the house. But not only that, I remember going to the Beltissebħ library every fortnight with my eldest sisters. It was such a fun adventure for us.”
Castillo (Merlin Publishers)From childhood connections with the written word to adolescent appreciation and acknowledgement for the craft of writing, Azzopardi went on to read for a degree in Maltese where writing took an academic slant, rather than a creative one.
“After University, I joined Inizjamed, an NGO promoting Maltese literature in Malta and abroad. Being part of Inizjamed meant organising literature workshops and literary evenings, meeting guest authors from various countries, discussing my work with them and above all discussing my work with other Maltese writers, who were also part of the coordinating team.
“During this same period I also met Trevor Żahra, who had asked me to join him on a project, an offer I gladly accepted. Stilel was the project I had to work on – a set of textbooks for primary schools. Through this project, I met Chris Gruppetta from Merlin Publishers. That’s when the real adventure took off.”
Kulħadd Ħalla Isem Warajh (Merlin Publishers)The art of writing is not as streamlined as we may think, creating content, especially literature requires the right setting, mood and muse. For Azzopardi – who is also the recipient of 10 National Book Prize for Literature awards – her approach to writing is mellow and low-key.
“I’m a very slow writer. And I usually don’t write on demand. There is not one perfect setting though I must admit I have a beautiful spacious study, airy and full of natural light. But I am very restless too. So I tend to change places and find different spots in the house. It’s sometimes the kitchen table or the sofa, the courtyard or the bedroom.
“I tend to dedicate more time to writing during my summer recess. As a result, I sometimes work on various pieces of writing at the same time. It’s usually a piece for adults, another for children and some translation on the side. This juggling between genres and different audiences helps keep me on my toes, and when I reach an impasse on one piece, I can turn on to another, and so on and so forth.”
Seeing as most of the country is confined to their homes for precautionary measures, many of us are finding time to unravel new skills, awaken old passions or even tap into art forms that we’d set aside. Azzopardi’s reconnection with poetry came to light during her self-quarantine reading adventure.
“Strangely enough social confinement has affected my reading habits. I’m now reading many poetry books. It’s not that I did not read poetry before, but since I’ve been locked indoors I must have read some ten collections of poetry – and I don’t write poetry. I never did nor do I ever intend to. But confinement, and the silence that reigns right now has led me to reach out to the poetry section of my library and start pulling out the books one by one.”
Our current situation is allowing us to reflect and think deeply about what’s going on around us – we’re all trying to find ways to deal within our restrictions and for Azzopardi, that coping mechanism comes in the form of journaling.
“I’m jotting down a few facts and thoughts about these days of confinement. The sad truth is that I’m finding it very hard to concentrate on any new writing project. I do have a project in the pipeline – it might even be a book of short stories. I say might, because I’m not sure yet.
“It all started with a project thought up by Glen Calleja and Lori Sauer, called KIN, a project about dolls, making handcrafted dolls and creating stories around them. We've all had dolls at some stage or other in our lives, right? Some we still keep, others we’ve thrown away, some we lost, and some we gave to friends. At some point, our favourite doll was not merely a lifeless object... but, I will stop here. I don’t want to give it all away. Not just yet.”
Through Merlin Publishers, Azzopardi recently launched a new podcast for the young called Xpatapumm! Kotba u paroli għat-tfal.
“It’s a free Maltese podcast about books and reading – and I believe it's the first podcast in Maltese for children.”
Il-Qtates ta' Max-Xatt (Merlin Publishers)Children and young readers are some of the primary audiences in Azzopardi’s writing – her whimsical ways of writing engage with her readers and create lasting relationships with the characters; some of which are immortalised in our imagination and enforced through illustration.
“I love picture books and working with different illustrators. It’s fun and magical to see words come to life with amazing imagery. I’ve worked with Lisa Falzon many times and I would love to work with her again. Recently I’ve worked with Matthew Stroud on Il-Ħanut tal-Ħelu li Mar Dawra (The sweet shop that went for a walk), as a result of which we found ourselves tackling a completely new challenge, a series of animated cartoons for the very young: Emme.
“But it’s not just children’s writing which amazes me. I love writing for adults too. And yes, why not? Different genres too: short stories, plays, and also a novel. They are all very different from one another.”
From thematic short stories such as Il-Linja l-Ħadra to character focused writing such as Kulħadd Ħalla Isem Warajh, Azzopardi’s wheelhouse is properly equipped to churn out quality writing that undoubtedly ingrains a memory in its reader well after reading the final chapter.
This interview is part of a series of interviews with local authors, supported by the National Book Council. Read the first interview, with Alex Vella Gera, here.