Il-Malti. Rivista tal-Akkademja tal-Malti, Ħarġa XCI 2018  
(but 2020), Josette Attard (editor), €11.43

It was more than fitting that, at a time when we are recalling the first anniversary of the death of Pawlu Mizzi (1921-2019), the father of the modern Maltese book, he should be recalled in an excellent tribute by Sergio Grech in the latest issue of Il-Malti, the organ of the Akkademja tal-Malti.

Grech rightly notes Mizzi’s massive contribution to the development of the publishing of books in Maltese over the last 50 years. Not only did he make it possible for scores of authors to publish their works but he was instrumental in raising local production to international standards. Indeed, Maltese culture owes this humble but far-seeing Gozitan an immense debt.

It is also fitting that the publishing house Mizzi started in the 1970s, Klabb Kotba Maltin, has been responsible for the publication of Il-Malti for a good number of years. The result has been a remarkable leap in production quality for a publication that will be celebrating its centenary in a couple of years.

This is indeed a labour of love by the publishing house because Il-Malti is not a money-spinner; anything but.

As Josette Attard says in her editorial, Il-Malti serves as a showcase for the vitality and range of Maltese authors. Established writers still find it satisfying to contribute to the journal while new or newish aspiring authors find a welcome means to show their promise.

The result is an interesting variety of contributions that attest to the vigour of literary writing in different genres.

The latest issue of Il-Malti groups the contributions in three sections, namely poetry, prose and translations. It would, of course, be problematic to single out individual contributions, considering the high standards set by the editorial board.

Il-Malti serves as a showcase for the vitality and range of Maltese authors

Established award-winning poets in this issue like Charles Bezzina, Louis Briffa, Ġorġ Borg and Immanuel Mifsud are most willing to offer their contributions, but also new authors like Geoffrey Attard, Claudia Grech and Rita Saliba find space to show their worth. 

The prose section contains contributions by veteran authors like Victor Fenech, Trevor Żahra and Charles Casha, and promising ones like Jane Micallef, Alex Mizzi and Joseph Vella. Rita Saliba experiments with micro-stories, a new genre in local literature.

Translation has in recent years experienced a vigorous revival, fuelled by demand by EU bodies and an energetic department at the University of Malta.

Well-established translators, whose work had been worthily acknowledged by winning awards, like Toni Aquilina, Kevin Saliba and Paul Zahra (an excellent translator of the ‘impossible’ Proust) present works together with promising others like Sergio Grech,   Manwel Cutajar, Therese Pace, Yana Psaila, Ivan Said and Salv Sammut. Translated authors include Franz Kafka, John Keats, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alexander Pushkin, Leonard Cohen and Theophile Gautier.

In the latter case, we are treated to the entire chapter from Gautier’s Constantinople where the author gives his impressions, so full of delightful insights, of cosmopolitan Valletta in 1852.

Gautier just spent a few hours on the island and managed to see inside the Palace (where he said there was a Caravaggio) and St John’s, which impressed him with its works of art.

Copies of Il-Malti may be obtained from the Akkademja tal-Malti, Dar Doreen Micallef, 12, Flat 1, St Andrew Street, Valletta VLT 1341 for €11.43 plus €1 postage. Contact 7959 2231 for information. Il-Malti. Rivista tal-Akkademja tal-Malti, Harga XCI 2018 (but 2020), Josette Attard (editor), €11.43.

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