Novelist and playwright Lina Brockdorff dies aged 95
Prolific novelist, playwright and educator was a leading figure in Maltese literature and language
Updated 3.49pm
Award-winning novelist and playwright Lina Brockdorff has died at the age of 95, her family has announced.
Born in Senglea on May 21, 1930, Brockdorff was a respected and prolific writer who published poetry, prose, radio plays and programmes, primarily in Maltese.
Over a career that spanned several decades, she became one of the most recognisable literary figures of her generation and a tireless advocate for the Maltese language.
On Tuesday, PEN Malta paid tribute to Brockdorff saying she “enriched Maltese letters and the Maltese language”.
In recognition of her contribution to Maltese literature, Brockdorff was awarded the gold medal at the annual Ġieħ l-Akkademja tal-Malti awards at the age of 90. She was the first woman to receive the honour, which celebrates individuals who have made a significant contribution to Maltese literature and language.
Brockdorff began her professional life as a primary school teacher. After taking a step back from her career to raise her family, she returned to teaching and went on to spend several years teaching media and English at St Aloysius College.
Her commitment to learning continued long after her formal retirement. In her seventies, Brockdorff returned to education, this time as a student, enrolling for a Master’s degree in Theology at the University of Malta. Her academic curiosity and intellectual engagement remained constant throughout her life.
Lina Brockdorff in her later years. Photo: Brockdorff familyShe was also deeply involved in Malta’s literary institutions. For several years she served as president of the Għaqda Letterarja Maltija and was a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti council from 2004 to 2005. After this period, she continued to contribute as an active member and was also part of L-Għaqda Poeti Maltin.
Brockdorff was especially prolific in the 1950s and 1960s, when she wrote and produced several programmes that aired on rediffusion, a broadcasting medium that predated FM radio and television in Malta. Her work reached wide audiences both locally and abroad.
During her long life, she published 340 novellas, 12 novels and a large number of short-story anthologies, some of which were broadcast on radio stations in Malta and overseas.
Among her best-known works are the romantic novel Kien Kwinta l-Qamar (1974), Luciano, a historical novel set in 1900, and the autobiographical account of her childhood during the Second World War, Sireni u Serenati (2004).
The autobiography was later serialised and broadcast on several radio stations and was awarded the “Best Novel – Non-Fiction” prize by the National Book Council of Malta. It was subsequently translated into English and published as Serenades amidst the Sirens (2016).
In 2020, former president George Vella described Brockdorff as “a wonderful example of active ageing”, noting her continued writing and publishing well into her 90s. She is also remembered for her extensive voluntary work at both the local and national levels.
Despite her wide-ranging commitments, Brockdorff always made time for her family. She is survived by her four children, Noellie, David, Adrianne and Daniel, as well as several grandchildren.