Karamellu tar-Raħal t’Isfel – l-Ewwel Ktieb is a collection of 10 stories in Maltese, accompanied by specifically designed colourful visuals, about childhood in a Maltese village at a time before the advent of television, computer, internet, and mobile.

Karamellu represents a boy born and brought up in a worker’s family that used to live in the part of the village of Żejtun, known as Ir-Raħal t’Isfel.

The author of the stories is the writer Carmel Charles Buttigieg, who in the book signs as In-Nannu Karm.

The author with the headmaster of Żejtun Primary School A, Saviour Sammut.

Some of the Karamellu stories were inspired by the true experiences of the author. Other stories introduce the reader to the life and behaviour of certain people in the life of the author during his childhood.

In general, the narratives offer an idea of the life pattern of children and their families many years ago, together with their way of life in a calm and serene environment where everybody used to know everybody and where there was no shortage of exciting moments or happenings (praspar).

The author with the headmaster of Żejtun Primary School B, Edmond Pace

The main aim of the Karamellu stories is to offer new generations easy-to-read and pleasing anecdotes that would help them get to know and understand better the kind of village culture and environment children of years gone by were brought up in. At the same time, the stories also offer some nostalgic reading to elders, especially those who like to read and recount narratives to children about the time when they themselves were still very young.

The idea to start compiling the Karamellu stories in books is rooted in the impressive support the stories received when they started to be posted on Facebook at the time of the COVID-19 lockdown, with many readers soliciting the publication of the stories in book form. Facebook has seen 64 Karamellu stories to date.

The author with the chief executive officer of the National Literacy Agency, David Muscat

The book was launched on October 26, 2021, at the Żejtun Primary School, with the permission and cooperation of the heads of the two sections of the school, Saviour Sammut (Primary School A) and Edmond Pace (Primary School B). This was the school that the author used to attend as a boy.

Also present during the launch were Maria Dolores Abela, the mayor of Żejtun, and David Muscat, chief executive officer of the National Literacy Agency.

The 100-page book is being published with the cooperation of the National Literacy Agency.

The author with the Żejtun mayor, Maria Dolores Abela.

The designers and setters of the book are CN Creative Designs.

More information may be obtained from Rita Micallef (79093467) or the author (79080510).