JJ Camilleri was one of the prominent authors who introduced a modernist perspective to 20th-century Maltese literature. Joseph Agius talks to DENNIS CAMILLERI and FRANKLIN CAMILLERI, two of his three sons, about their father’s versatility in artistic expression and the current exhibition of his paintings at Mosta’s Ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone.

JA: What are the first memories of your father that you can recall?

DC: My first memories go back to our childhood holidays in Gozo, together with both our parents. We used to wake up, have breakfast, go swimming and return in the evening to our holiday home in Marsalforn. Later on, as my mum was Gozitan, we used to meet up with our aunts, uncles and cousins, who were our age, and play.

FC: My first memory concerns our house in Mosta being still under construction. We used to live on Constitution Street before actually moving to our new house. And I also remember us going with our parents to our aunts’ house situa­ted in Mosta square.

DC: Yes, I remember my dad coming back home from work, after which we would join him on a site visit.

JA: JJ Camilleri is synonymous with Maltese 20th-century literature. Which of his many works that he wrote do you think were closest to his heart?

DC: I would say L-Għar tax-Xitan, as it is generally considered to be one of the first Maltese modernist novels. He wrote about the Maltese social situation of those days. I would also add Luteru as another of his favourites as, through this work, he challenged the status quo of those times.

My father was up to the challenge to transcend the limits that were imposed and that he experienced in those days. This novel’s main character, Martin Luther, was a historical personage who maybe my dad looked up to. The excommunicated German priest and theologian professed ideas ahead of his time, pushing the limits of theological thought. My dad deeply empathised with this forward way of thinking.

FC: I think that Ulied il-Qawsalla was another of his favourites.

JA: Was he also somewhat involved in the 1970s publication for schools Id-Denfil?

DC: Yes, he contributed to that publication. In book no. 6 of the series there is a story where us three brothers are mentioned by name – Dennis, Roderick and Franklin, and three of our Gozitan cousins as well – Alex, Mario and Anthony. He sought inspiration from one of our many trips to Gozo.

JA: Your father was a creative man who followed many paths. He was a teacher and a school principal, a published author, an artist, he was involved in theatrical productions, besides finding time to devote to philanthropy. How did he find time to pursue all of this?

DC: He found time as he had a passion for everything.

FC: There were times when we hardly caught a glimpse of him as he used to leave for work very early and was involved in various endeavours in the evenings. However, this was for a short period of time.

DC: Actually, we really got to know more about our dad when he retired. When we were still young, certain topics were beyond us. It was only when we got older that we could engage with him on certain topics and got to know his thoughts about them. The pity and irony of it all is that it’s too late now to discuss some of his books with him, when, with hindsight, we had a privileged access to the author, and we could pick his brains. We were too young at the time when he penned his most forward-looking works. Now we just have to somehow interpret what he was on about and this is disappointing.

The last book that he wrote was his autobiography, which was still unpublished when he passed away. Malta Li Għext Fiha has been posthumously published, quite recently. His autobiography confirms that he was very much aware of what was happening in Malta and the world around him; he was in tune with the news, the trends and the breakthroughs.

He taught us how to embrace all viewpoints, even those that jar with common beliefs and thoughts- Dennis Camilleri

JA: This art exhibition commemorates the 25 years from the inception of Ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone as a popular cultural venue in Mosta. In what way was your father involved in the early days of this enterprise?

FC: My dad was instrumental and had a central mediator’s role in saving the vernacular building which was earmarked to be pulled down to increase the footprint of the adjacent school. He contributed towards the establishment of Ir-Razzett as the cultural centre as it still is even to the present day.

JA: This exhibition will come as a surprise to those who were not aware of JJ Camilleri having been a visual artist. This collection of paintings is a reflection of a man who was cognisant of the Maltese art world of that time, as well as having a grasp of the international art scene. Can you mention if he nourished friendships with Maltese artists?

FC: Antoine Camilleri for sure. My dad nurtured a friendship with him. They used to communicate a lot. Camilleri was more than an acquaintance. Antoine instructed my dad on his signature technique of painting on incised clay.

DC: My dad devoted his time to painting when he was not engrossed in his writing. He used the basement beneath our house in Mosta as his art studio. He used to keep most of his finished work in the basement. I only got to see and evaluate his work relatively recently.

FC: He used to experiment a lot in style – sometimes he used lines, at other times colour and form.

DC: His themes range from the sacred to the profane, from the modern to the abstract to cubism. I think art for him was more of an experience in experimentation. He studied for his master’s degree in London in the early 1960s so he was bound to come across the new artistic tendencies in the museums and galleries of the British capital.

FC: He was also aware of tendencies in the Maltese art scene – one can decipher the language of Frank Portelli in some of the paintings.

JA: On an artistic level, do you feel that your father influenced you towards an alternative perspective on the world around you? Or did you regard him as an intellectual far removed from you?

DC: What we owe to our dad is definitely our liberal way of thinking and evaluating what’s right or wrong, and taking the time to digest all perspectives before making a statement. He taught us how to embrace all viewpoints, even those that jar with common beliefs and thoughts. His book, Luteru, narrates the story of such an influential person in the history of our continent – for some, their first reaction to his teachings and life choices would be one of disapproval when actually what Martin Luther was saying made absolute sense. This ethos of being liberal, of thinking freely and accepting new perspectives, are traits that we three siblings have inherited.

FC: My dad had a very modern outlook amid the backdrop of the general mentality of those days, one that restricted free thought.

JA: Did his involvement in the world of local theatre go beyond acting in plays? Did he actually write theatrical works?

FC: Yes, he did. I’m not sure if they were meant for the stage or written specifically for devoted programmes on radio which were very popular in the 1970s and 80s.

DC: He also wrote the lyrics to a long oratorio, titled Għid ta’ l-Assunta – Lilek Maria for Mosta parish church, thematically linked to the Assumption of Our Lady and performed by Mosta’s own Soċjetà Filarmonika Santa Marija. The music is by Raymond Sciberras.

JA: Did your father nurture friendship with protagonists of the Maltese 20th-century literary scene such as Frans Sammut, Francis Ebejer, Mario Azzopardi, Oliver Friggieri, etc?

DC: He knew them all – I’m sure he discussed his writing with them.

FC: Besides, he was one of the founders of L-Għaqda tal-Malti, so he was in contact with the majority of Maltese authors. Trevor Zahra was a great friend of his. My dad was a very reserved person. For example, I didn’t know that he was president of Mosta Football Club, he never mentioned this to us.

The exhibition JJ Camilleri, hosted by Ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone, Mosta, is open until February 27. Visit the venue’s Facebook page for opening hours.