Biography: Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi

Author

Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi was born at Qormi, the son of Francesco and Generosa nèe Azzopardi. He studied at the Mdina Seminary and the UM from where he obtained the diploma of legal procurator (1875).

  Muscat Azzopardi was an able speaker, a popular politician, a noted stage critic, a versatile journalist, and an active participant in many socio-cultural spheres. A successful solicitor, he became president of the Chamber of Legal Procurators and was a member of the government’s Giunta Teatrale. 

He was a great promoter of Maltese drama, editor of several instructive periodicals like In-Naħla Maltija (1878) and Il-Ħabib (1911), and also contributed to other publications like Id-Dawl (1892) and Il-Ħabbar Malti.

He was also a member of the Council of Government and founder of the Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti (later Akkademja tal-Malti). In 1920 he was elected first president of the Għaqda Kittieba tal-Malti, a post he kept till his death. In 1924 he became the first editor of Il-Malti, the Għaqda’s literary periodical. He was for a time examiner of Italian at the UM and at the Seminary. For his religious writings and activities, he was twice decorated by Pius X, first with the honour of Pro Ecclesia et Pontefice and then with the medal Bene Merenti.

For his many prose and poetry contributions to Maltese literature, F.S. Caruana, called him ‘the father of Maltese literature’. His considerable literary output comprises novels, poems, plays, biographies, and translations. His first book in prose was Il-Ħajja ta’ San Ġorġ (1874), a translation from Italian.

Muscat Azzopardi excelled as a novelist. In his historical novels Toni Bajjada, Mattew Callus , Vicu Mason, Susanna, Ċejlu Tonna, Ċensu Barbara , and Nazju Ellul, the past is recalled for its universal applicability. In a romantic way history becomes an indication of the future and the novelist concocts nationalistic values within his fiction. The integration of history (which requires research) and fiction (which requires imagination) aims at instruction and entertainment.

He burdens his creative prose with history and direct narration as his plots are largely based on action, descriptions, exhortations, and explicit instruction. Whereas his characters are not psychologically developed, the reader understands character through what he does and not because of a developed personality.

Muscat Azzopardi was also a refined poet who explored the flexibility of Maltese as a medium of poetic expression. Most of his poems are found in Ġabra ta’ Poeżiji bit-Taljan u bil-Malti, Ħamsin Poeżija bil-Malti, and Ħabra Sħiħa ta’ Sunetti bi Studju fuqhom tal-Kittieb Innifsu.

His poetry extracted valid elements from the immediate environment and the social interpretation it presented was often an inspiration to other poets. His aesthetic sense never allowed him to forget his mission as a literary educator and even in his poetry he is often very didactic.

Muscat Azzopardi was married to Tonina Fenech.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.