Children's author of Maltese origin visiting Malta

Merlin Library are hosting the visit to Malta of Deborah Abela, author of the Max Remy Superspy series which will be published in the UK in July by Oxford University Press. The Max Remy series is already in its sixth title in Australia, her native country. Ms Abela is of Maltese origin, both her father and grandfather being Maltese.

Having been a keen reader and writer as a child Ms Abela left school and studied teaching before she realised she needed to see the world. For three years she travelled from America to the UK to Africa, Europe and parts of Asia before returning home and driving around Australia. After that she completed a Bachelor of Communications degree, majoring in writing and film at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Ms Abela worked in TV for nine years, most of that time as the producer-writer of Cheez TV for Network Ten. She left that job in 2001 to take up her long-held dream of writing full-time - a profession she loves!

Ms Abela is one of the first children's writers of Maltese origin to be published by a major UK publishing house. In signing her up for the Max Remy series, Oxford have expressed their enthusiasm for the books and their commitment to a series that has proved to be wildly popular in Australia. Oxford have commented that the Max Remy series is "a cracking new series, dripping with adrenalin and laughter".

The Max Remy adventures feature 11-year-old superspy Max Remy, who together with best friend Linden become part of secret intelligence agency Spyforce, where their missions involve using amazing gadgets like time and space machines, slimers and stink bombs to save the world from some of its most sinister criminal minds.

Ms Abela sums up her inspiration for the Max Remy character: "The idea for the character of Max came from me. Or me as a kid. She's clumsy, loves adventure and has this habit of putting her hands onto her hips when she's mad. Pretty much how I was when I was her age."

The Max Remy books will appeal to fans, both boys and girls, of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl capers, and of action films such as Spiderman and X-Men.

Ms Abela told Merlin Library: "I have always wanted to visit Malta and felt a strong connection with it from stories my father would tell me about the country and from the super 8 footage and polaroid films he would bring back from his visits." This will be her first visit to her ancestral land, and during her stay in Malta and Gozo she will be launching the first two books in the series, whose publication in Europe will coincide with her stay in Malta.

During her stay, she also intends to complete research for a forthcoming adventure that will be set in Malta.

Ms Abela will be meeting schoolchildren in schools during her visit, and will also be signing copies of her first two books. For more information about Deborah Abela and her books, visit www.maxremy.com.au, or contact Merlin Library at mail@merlinlibrary.com.