Author

Born in Żebbuġ, the son of Joseph Cutajar and Angelica Buhagiar. Luret grew up without any schooling until just before his twenties when he started attending evening classes.

In World War I Cutajar became a soldier and after the war he joined the Franciscan Order in the Holy Land. After three years, he left the Order but taught in their school for 12 years until he returned to Malta in 1933.

For a short time, Cutajar was employed in the government museum through Temi Zammit, but he was dragged before the criminal court and sentenced to four years in prison on 8 November 1934. Then he worked as a cook at Luqa airport, visiting the Public Library in his spare time.

Cutajar could speak and write in Maltese, Italian, English and Arabic, as well as Greek and Latin. He started writing articles about abandoned historical monuments like Hal Millieri chapel. He also wrote Ben Jehuza, a novel based on the gospels. He was eccentric in his writings and interpretations, even of the gospels.

Luret Cutajar was single. He died at St Luke’s Hospital aged 81 years.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.