Marta Marta, written by Loranne Vella and published by Ede Books, is the winner of the 2023 National Book Prize in the ‘novels’ category.

Written in Maltese, the work is a multifaceted narrative that explores issues of sexuality, feminism, contraception, abortion and genderfluidity in contemporary Maltese society, highlighting the legacy of long-standing patriarchy and fervent Catholicism.

“Marta Marta is a novel about gender oppression, told in five voices,” describes the author. “It can also be described as a ghost story, a gothic story of sorts.”

The five protagonists in the novel all live under one roof, namely the house known by everyone as Dar il-Pjaċir (House of Pleasure), originally conceived of by the two women who opened it many years ago as a convent-brothel-cabaret.

Vella describes how the novel is divided into five sections – one for every protagonist. Maria Dolores and Immacolata Concetta are the two owners of the house. They are now in their 80s and assume the roles of Mothers (as in a convent) to the group of young women who live there too.

The character of Damjan is described as the son of Maria Dolores, even though he isn’t, and he is the third voice in this novel.

“We see Damjan as he fluidly transitions from one gender to another, from the self-isolating Damjan – bookworm and thinker – to Jeanne, one of the girls in the House of Pleasure – she who harbours an ambition to become the next girl to crown the Virgin during the annual 1st of May ritual organised by the Mothers,” says Vella.  The character of Nathaline Kemmun, a mute 21-year-old girl, is the fourth voice in the novel. She is of Maltese descent but until now has lived all her life in Belgium.

“She is a feminist, herself the daughter of a feminist activist. Her radical feminism borders on the transphobic, yet through her friendship with Damjan she slowly begins to question the ethical value of her political position,” continues the author. 

Unusually, the fifth voice of the novel belongs to the old house itself, who calls herself Marta Marta.

“She is over 400 years old and has seen various forms of oppression within the families who have lived there,” says Vella.

“The House is aware of what each of the inhabitants thinks and feels and through them she is learning more about herself, becoming stronger day by day.”

The various conversations that take place between them allows for an in-depth discussion in search of a solution

Interestingly, since the sections are written in different voices, the writing style, tone and mood of each is strikingly different. With each protagonist’s contribution, Vella introduces alternative narrative techniques that work best with the character in question.

Maria Dolores’ section, for example, is written in the first person and is heavily based on religious narratives and iconography. Some of her scenes are almost comical while Concetta’s thoughts verge on the perverse.

These give rise to obscene sexually-charged theatre sketches which Madre Dolorosa and the girls put up for a select male audience each week – scenes that some will find difficult to read because of the explicit violence depicted.

Equally, Nathaline’s long love letter to her beloved contrasts with Damjan’s dramatic monologue on philosophical concepts.

“There is a tendency to discuss philosophical concepts – such as the construction of gender, feminism, beauty, truth and identity – in English, and hardly ever in Maltese,” explains Vella. “I have therefore designed these characters to highlight that such profound concepts can and, in my opinion should, be discussed in Maltese.”

“Literature is a form of activism,” she adds. “To quote the French author Monique Wittig, literature is like a Trojan horse which enters quietly, stealthily in our everyday life to then cause havoc from within. Other writers have compared it to a virus, conquering and mutating its host from inside. I write with these very powerful images of literature in mind.”

In Marta Marta, it is clear that Vella’s fictional, even fantastical, novel throws light on real life problems, using characters and situations drawn from experience, although often exaggerated.

“This is important because it is how I make sure that what I am creating is credible,” she continues.

“It is in this House that the debate about abortion takes place, and since not all characters have the same opinion about this issue, the various conversations that take place between them allows for an in-depth discussion in search of a solution.”

It is Vella’s hope that the solutions to various challenges described in this thought-provoking novel could also be taken up in the real world.

Marta Marta is available from www.edebooks.eu/bookshop/marta-marta.