Ten years ago a new website popped up on the local radar. The first story was an announcement that Queen Elizabeth was giving Malta to Prince William and his spouse Kate Middleton as a wedding gift. The person behind the satirical website remained unknown until he was outed during a very heated public altercation with a Cabinet minister.  We speak to MATTHEW BONANNO, the man behind Bis-Serjetà.

When we contact humour writer Matthew Bonanno and ask if he would be interested in an interview, he has to think about it. For a decade now he enjoyed the anonymity brought about by what he calls his “alter ego” - the fictitious character he pens his articles under: Karl Stennienibarra.

Until a few weeks ago only some knew or suspected who Matthew really was, but now everyone does. 

Matthew, 33, has been “pissing off” people in the public eye for the past decade. And he’s fine with it. The way he sees it, this is what satire is all about and those in the public eye need to learn to deal with it.

I’m anti-government no matter who is in government as they are the ones taking the decisions.

And more often than not, people in government, by the very nature of their job, are in the public eye. This is why Matthew is unapologetic.

“I pride myself on not taking sides even though people accuse me of being anti-government - which is true. But I’m anti-government no matter who is in government as they are the ones taking the decisions. This idea that everything has to be 50/50 [between government and the party in opposition], I totally disagree with. It has to be uneven as the power is not even between the two.”

How did it start?

Matthew does not really remember what motivated him to start Bis-Serjetà 10 years ago. He sort of drifted into it by doing what he loves – satire, which he was introduced to from childhood by his English mum.

When he was a university, he would write an April Fool satirical article for the student paper. When, in February 2011, two Libyan jet fighters flew to Malta (when their pilots claimed they escaped to Malta after having been ordered to bomb civilians in Benghazi during the Arab Spring) he couldn’t resist. He posted a post on Malta Park pretending the sell the jets.

Matthew has now launched Bis-Serjeta merchandise.

I see the news cycle as a long-running sitcom and there are all these characters. My first goal is to make people laugh most of the time.

Then as the world became a stage to the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton inspiration struck. He had a joke to share: that Malta, a former British colony, would be their wedding gift. So he created a platform to voice this humour. 

“With satire the aim is to mimic. So if you’re doing satire about the news, you have to choose a medium that looks like it… I see the news cycle as a long-running sitcom and there are all these characters. My first goal is to make people laugh most of the time. The thing I always loved about satire is that it is good for saying something without saying it. Getting a sneaky meaning in. Sometimes my aim goes beyond: it’s to highlight an issue. It’s all my opinion dressed up,” he says.

And for many years he expressed his views through the pseudonym Karl Stennienibarra, a play on the name of former NET TV (the Nationalist Party station)  news anchor Karl Stagno Navarra, who is now a TV host on the Labour Party’s station One. Why him? As a child Matthew found it funny that the surname sounded like “stennieni barra” (wait outside). Nothing personal, he says. 

Why remain anonymous?

“When I started, the anonymity helped to not get as many threats. But a bigger part of it was the mystique of having a character. It was useful, but not essential to my life. Over the years, I pissed off a couple of people. I don’t know if there is anyone left who I have not offended. Especially in a country as tribal as Malta, it comes with the territory,” he says. 

Bonanno was outed by Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia, who reacted to a satirical Bis-Serjeta post about him and his mother.

The article that gave him “most hassle” was one about the statue of Santa Venera getting coronavirus.

“One or two people managed to find out who I am. They take their statues seriously.”

His cover was blown recently by Minister Aaron Farrugia who named him in retaliation to a post making fun of the fact that Farrugia’s parents often step in to defend the minister. Farrugia replied on Twitter and Instagram, outing the author and urging him to find a “proper job.”

Did Matthew cross the line when referring to the minister’s parents? The way he sees it, he will write about anyone who is in the public domain.

“I guess I draw the line at private individuals. But with social media it can get tricky as even a private individual can go viral. If something is already in the public domain, I feel it’s fair game. 

“The naming - It was always going to happen at some point. It wasn’t a well-kept secret and I didn’t make a massive effort. What shocked me was the rest of the conversation when I was told to get a real job. It was surreal.”

What's next?

And his aim is to continue growing Bis-Serjetà – his real job. “I’m trying to make this a full-time thing mainly because it’s the only thing I’m good at,” he laughs.

He recently set up a Patreon page, a funding site for artists, creators and journalists and is launching Bis-Serjetà merchandise. He also plans to expand and do more video. And all this because he believes there is a role for satire. 

“For me it’s a form of therapy to process the madness. People have told me they got through a bad day after reading the news, then reading my page and laughing. Laughter is the best medicine. As a country, I think we need to laugh more.”

This story was first published in Sunday Circle, a Times of Malta publication. Read the full edition here,