Impenji / Events

2010

Adrian Grima intervistat minn Mario Azzopardi (Novembru)

Adrian Grima u Norbert Bugeja flimkien fin-Notte Bianca/Lejl Imdawwal, Is-Sibt, 25 ta' Settembru  

"L-Inklinazzjoni tal-Balla fl-Unika Demokrazija Dik in-Naħa" - Lil Bianca Zammit (Mejju)

Karta Saħħara - Campus FM - Il-letteratura għat-tfal

ĦARBA - Festival Internazzjonali tal-Letteratura għat-Tfal - Sessjonijiet ta' kitba mat-tfal (April)

Premio Storie 2009 per la scrittura momentista (Marzu)

Maltese Poetry at International Night (March)

The Sunday Circle - Poets of Our Times - Riħ min-Nofsinhar (March)

Żewġ sessjonijiet ta' kitba kreattiva - Fondazzjoni għal Servizzi Edukattivi (Frar/Marzu 2010)

Maltese Translation of Ronny Someck poem (February)

ALF Malta Network Seminar on Intercultural Dialogue in Practice (February)

Taħdita ta' Adrian Grima dwar Feliċ ta' Juan Mamo u x-Xellug (Frar)

Il-Lingwa Mxattra tal-Letteratura - Riċensjoni tan-novelli ta' Walid Nabhan (Marzu)

Kollox Minnu, Kollox Mistħajjel - Riċensjoni tal-awtobijografija ta' Ġorġ Peresso (Frar)

Adrian Grima f'Is-Siegħa tal-Kittieba l-Ħamis li ġej, 4 ta' Frar, 7.30pm (Frar)

Riħ min-Nofsinhar Jirbaħ il-Premju Nazzjonali għall-iktar ktieb kreattiv fl-2008 (Jannar)

Awturi dwar il-Libertà tal-Espressjoni - Authors about Freedom of Expression (Jannar)

Istanbul LAF Mediterranean meeting (January)

Adrian Grima about "Writing in the Mother Tongue" on Australia's national ABC radio
Interviewed at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali, October 2010

From left, Adrian Grima, Sarah L'Estrange and Senadin Musebegovic in Ubud, Bali

While in Ubud, Bali where he was invited to read at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Adrian Grima was interviewed by Sarah L'Estrange, producer of The Book Show, a programme aired on ABC Radio National in Australia. The theme of this edition of the programme was Writing in the mother tongue and the other invited writers were Bosnian poet Senadin Musabegovic; Flora Drew, literary translator for Chinese author Ma Jian; and Suad Amiry, a Palestinian writer and architect living in Ramallah since 1981.

You can listen to the programme here: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2010/3055745.htm

From the programme website:

In his book about the evolution of the English language Mother Tongue Bill Bryson explores the strange journey the language has taken to become the global lingua franca. While English might be the language of business and international backpackers, it hasn't conquered literature.

The language you write in can be a matter of birth or politics but while some write and read in the mother tongue, others do not.

At the Ubud Writers Festival, writers from different countries are invited to speak and read in their own language. It gives audiences the chance to hear a diversity of voices and it gives writers a chance to share their work in the original lilt of their language.

The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange was in Bali as a guest of the festival and reports on writing in the mother tongue.

Adrian Grima
A poet writing in Maltese. He teaches Maltese Literature at the University of Malta and has read papers on literature, culture and the Mediterranean at conferences in Europe and the USA.

Senadin Musabegović
A Bosnian poet. He is a professor at the School of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo teaching courses in Sociology of Culture and Art Theory. His books include Body Strikes, The Maturing of Homeland which received the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Writers' Association Award for best book published in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999 and The Heavenly Sphere.

Flora Drew
Literary translator for Chinese author Ma Jian.

Suad Amiry
A Palestinian writer and architect living in Ramallah since 1981. She is the author of the memoir Sharon and My Mother-in-Law which has been translated into 17 languages and was awarded the prestigious 2004 Viareggio Prize. Her latest book is Nothing to Lose But Your Life.

 

Adrian Grima's participation in the Festival was supported by the Malta Arts Fund and Literature Across Frontiers.

L-awtur bħala artist impotenti

Adrian Grima intervistat minn Mario Azzopardi

Ix-xahar li għadda l-Inizjamed u l-grupp Versatili ħarġu antoloġija ta’ poeżija bit-titlu Sekwenzi ta’ Tluq. Fiha hemm xogħlijiet ta’ tnax-il awtur u awtriċi, fosthom Adrian Grima, li kiteb ukoll l-introduzzjoni provokatorja. Fost l-oħrajn, Grima jargumenta li m’aħniex niddiskutu biżżejjed il-letteratura, lanqas meta tqanqal "il-ħama." INTERMEZZ intervista lil Adrian Grima dwar il-funzjoni tal-awtur lokali u l-qagħda letterarja fil-preżent.

MA - Fid-daħla għall-ktieb int tinsisti li d-deċiżjonijiet dwar il-letteratura Maltija qed “jittieħdu minn ftit nies,” u la mill-kittieba, la mill-qarrejja u lanqas mill-pubblikaturi. Min huma dawn “il-ftit nies” eżattament?

AG - Primarjament l-awtoritajiet politiċi, edukattivi, ekkleżjastiċi, u ġudizzjarji, imma anki n-nies li jmexxu l-libreriji pubbliċi, u l-ħwienet u d-distributuri tal-kotba. Hemm ukoll dawk li għandhom f’idejhom il-mezzi tax-xandir, mill-gazzetti sat-televiżjoni. Il-letteratura Maltija hija dik li juruna (anki meta jinjorawha) huma.

Għaliex awtur għandu jħossu żarmat jew impotenti quddiem sitwazzjonijiet ta’ kontroll?  Kif għandu jirreagixxi?

Bosta kittieba, speċjalment dawk li jaraw il-letteratura bħala sfida, minnha nfisha, għall-ordni letterarju u kulturali stabbilit, iħossuhom impotenti għax donnha l-libertà tal-espressjoni tagħhom qed tinbela’ minn ħaddieħor li għandu ċertu poter fil-pajjiż. Imma fl-istess ħin dawn l-awturi qed jirreaġixxu b’modi kreattivi u bil-konvinzjoni li l-letteratura ma tistax ma tmurx lilhinn mis-“sewwa magħruf,” mill-ħsieb dominanti, mit-timbri u r-rappreżentazzjonijiet lesti. Qed jirreaġixxu billi jkompli jiktbu u jippubblikaw ix-xogħol tagħhom. Illum għandna għadd ta’ kittieba nisa verament interessanti li qed jiktbu wħud fost l-aħjar xogħlijiet. Il-kitba intelliġenti, penetranti, kultant kontestatorja tagħhom, qed tisfida b’mod kreattiv il-kultura patrijarkali tagħna. Hemm eżempji tajbin ħafna ta’ awturi u letteratura ħielsa fil-ktieb Sekwenzi ta’ Tluq.

Barra minn hekk, ir-rivoluzzjoni fl-informatika fetħet toroq wisgħin għall-kittieba u ħafna minnhom qed jużawhom biex ixerrdu xogħolhom u jinċentivaw lill-qarrejja biex jieħdu sehem fil-proċess kreattiv bħala qarrejja. Bosta awturi qed isiefru biex jieħdu sehem f’avvenimenti letterarji barra minn Malta u kontinwament iqabblu l-qagħda tagħhom f’Malta ma’ dik f’bosta pajjiżi Ewropej. U jippretendu aktar minnhom infushom bħala kittieba u mill-kultura tagħhom.

Ara l-intervista kollha kif ġiet ippubblikata f'In-Nazzjon (2 ta' Novembru 2010): Adrian Grima intervistat minn Mario Azzopardi

Ara l-intervista sħiħa, mhux imqassra.
 

↑ fuq

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Bali

Adrian Grima was in Bali, Indonesia, in October, to take part in the VII edition of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival together with over 130 writers from Asia, Australia and other continents. Adrian Grima was invited to the festival by the director and founder, Janet De Neefe, whose grandmother was Maltese.

Adrian Grima read his poetry during two sessions held at Sari Organik ("Jalan Jalan with the Poets" with Ali Cobby Eckermann, Lionel Fogarty and Mark Tredinnick from Australia, Andha S, M Aan Mansyur and Arif Rizki from Indonesia, John O'Sullivan from Ireland, and Senadin Musabegovic from Bosnia) and Citibank Lounge ("A Chorus of Words and Tongues" with Galina Lazareva from Russia, Hande Altayli from Croatia, and Ma Jian from China) and spoke in two panel discussions on poetry ("Harmony in Words: Global Poets" with John O'Sullivan, Senadin Musabegovic, Andha S., and Tabish Khair from India) and the nation ("Beyond the Nation" with Ma Jian, Ruby Murray from Australia, and Teodozio Ximenes from East Timor) held at Indus Restaurant.

Adrian Grima was interviewed by Sarah L'Estrange of ABC Radio National of Australia, producer of The Book Show.

Adrian Grima's participation in the Festival was supported by the Malta Arts Fund and Literature Across Frontiers.

Jalan Jalan with the Poets at Sari Organik, Ubud, Bali

From left, Andha S, Adrian Grima, Arif Rizki, Ali Cobby Eckermann, M Aan Mansyur,

John O'Sullivan (poet and session moderator), Mark Tredinnick, Lionel Fogartyand Senadin Musabegovic

Tibda s-sensiela L-Amerka ta' Mamo fuq Campus FM

F'Ottubru 2010 bdiet tixxandar is-sensiela ta' programmi ta' Adrian Grima L-Amerka ta' Mamo fuq Campus FM, 103.7 FM, nhar ta' Erbgħa fis-7.30pm u s-Sibt fis-1.30pm. Is-sensiela tħares lejn l-avventura umana u letterarja ta' Juan Mamo f'Art il-Gżażeb.

Is-sensiela tiddiskuti l-perijodu storiku li fih għex u kiteb Juan Mamo; il-bijografija tiegħu; l-istorja mqallba u fil-biċċa l-kbira mhux magħrufa wisq tal-emigrazzjoni Maltija lejn il-Mediterran u d-dinja hekk imsejħa l-ġdida; il-mit tal-Amerka bħala l-art imwiegħda tal-fqar; il-karatteristiċi lingwistiċi verament straordinarji tal-kitba anti-konformista ta' Mamo; l-istrateġiji letterarji mhux tas-soltu li jinqeda bihom kontra x-xejra tal-mument storiku li fih kiteb mill-perspettiva tal-istudji postkolonjali;  il-kitbiet tiegħu fin-novelli, il-poeżiji, u l-manuskritti mhux ippubblikati u x-xogħlijiet inqas magħrufa tiegħu; l-użu tad-djalett fin-narrattiva tiegħu; l-ideoloġija u l-ideat politiċi tiegħu; ir-relazzjoni tiegħu ma' Manwel Dimech u personalitajiet oħrajn.

mix-xellug, Delfin Mamo, Adrian Grima u Saturnina Tonna fl-istudios ta' Campus FM fl-Università ta' Malta

• Produzzjoni u preżentazzjoni ta' Dr. Adrian Grima

• Intervisti ma' wlied Juan Mamo, Saturnina Tonna u Delfin Mamo, mal-Professuri Joseph M. Brincat, Dominic Fenech, Henry Frendo, Oliver Friggieri, u Manwel Mifsud; ma' Fr. Lawrence E. Attard, Dr. Marco Galea, Dr. Martin R. Zammit, Dr. Bernard Micallef, u l-Onor. Evarist Bartolo, u mas-Sinjuri Michael Grech, Mark A. Vella u Maria Zammit.

• Tekniċi tal-programm: Karmenu Grech, Kenneth Mizzi u Samuel Attard

• Qari minn kitbiet ta' Mamo tal-attur Tony Ellul

• Mużika tal-ftuħ ta' Astor Piazzola

• Ħajr lill-Prof. Gloria Lauri-Lucente u s-Sur Olvin Vella

Il-programmi jinsabu wkoll fuq is-sit ta' Campus FM, hawnhekk.
 

 

↑ fuq

Adrian Grima u Norbert Bugeja flimkien fin-Notte Bianca

Letteratura taħt l-Art

Kantina f'Kastilja, 25 ta' Settembru, 7.30pm - 12.30am  

Għall-ewwel darba, il-poeti Norbert Bugeja u Adrian Grima se jaqraw flimkien f'Lejla Mdawla li għandha l-għan li toħloq esperjenza poetika mhux tas-soltu f'post li qatt ma nfetaħ għall-pubbliku. Il-poeti se jaqraw ix-xogħlijiet ta' xulxin u ma' xulxin u jirrakkontaw aneddoti marbutin ma' wħud mill-poeżiji u l-qari tagħhom f'pajjiżi differenti.

Matul dan il-Lejl Imdawwal, se tinfetaħ parti minn passaġġ taħt l-art fil-Berġa ta' Kastilja u "Letteratura taħt l-art' f'din il-kantina mdaqqsa hija marbuta ma' din l-inizjattiva. F'Marzu tal-2001, il-Priministru ta' dak iż-żmien, Eddie Fenech Adami, kien ħabbar fil-Parlament (It-Tnejn, 2 ta’ April, 2001) li sar xogħol ta' restawr fil-Berġa ta' Kastilja, li beda f'Ottubru tal-1996, li kien jinkludi "Tħammil, tindif u restawr fil-kantina." Dan ix-xogħol sar "biex tkun restawrata l-istruttura oriġinali tal-bini."
 

Kull qari jdum madwar kwarta u jibda kull nofs siegħa. Kull sett ta' qari jkun differenti minn ta' qablu. Din l-attività tibda fis-7.30pm u tibqa' sejra sa madwar in-12.30 ta' filgħodu.

Il-qari se jinkludi xogħol mibdi minn Antoine Cassar u Norbert Bugeja għall-Bjennali tal-Artisti Żgħażagħ mill-Ewropa u l-Mediterran bl-isem ta' "Run Rhythm Run," li fih se jkun hemm siltiet mix-xogħol ta' Adrian Grima.
 

Fl-ewwel siegħa se jkun hemm ukoll (imma mhux biss) qari minn xogħlijiet poetiċi maħsubin apposta għat-tfal, qasam li ħadem fih l-aktar Adrian Grima imma li fih se jkun hemm ukoll kontribut minn Norbert Bugeja.

Il-qari se jkun bil-Malti iżda l-poeti se jaqraw ukoll xi xogħlijiet (ħafna minnhom traduzzjonijiet) bl-Ingliż meta jkun hemm preżenti persuni li ma jifhmux bil-Malti. Matul il-lejla l-poeti bi ħsiebhom jaqraw xi xogħlijiet ta' poeti oħrajn.

L-art li fuqha nbniet il-Berġa ta’ Kastilja għaddiet għand il-Kavallieri fl-1569 u fuqha kellu jinbena bini majestuż li kellu jkun jismu Casa Grande bil-faċċata fi Triq San Pawl. L-ispejjez biex tinbena din il-Berġa ġew minn taxxa li kienet saret fuq il-membri ta’ din il-Lingwa fl-1570. Id-dar, li kienet tista’ takkomoda biss lil Kap tal-Lingwa u numru limitat ta’ Kavallieri, intużat bħala berġa bejn l-1571 u l-1573, sakemm il-kavallieri tal-Lingwa li kienu għadhom jgħixu l-Birgu iddeċidew li jibnu Berġa akbar, xogħol li sar bejn 1741 u l-1745.

Il-bini tal-Berġa ta’ Kastilja huwa l-aqwa xogħol arkitettoniku ta’ stil barokk tat-tmintax-il seklu fil-Belt Valletta. Il-faċċata hija rikka iżda ma fihiex ħafna dekorazzjonijiet żejda, filwaqt li l-proporzjon tal-bini, speċjalment it-tqassim u l-għamla tat-twieqi, huwa partikolarment pjaċevoli.

Il-poster u r-ritratti ta' Letteratura taħt l-Art huma xogħol l-artist Joseph A. Borg ta' manifest-by-design.com

In the last week of August 2010 Adrian Grima read his poetry in Maltese during DNEVI POEZIJE IN VINA 2010, Days of Poetry and Wine, one of the most important European poetry festivals. This week-long series of 50 events brought together poets from all over the world for the fourteenth consecutive year. The festival, which has to this day hosted more than 300 poets, was held for this year, for the first time, in the medieval centre of the town Ptuj. This change (it was previously held in Medana) allowed the organizers to expand the programme with the help of new infrastructure and scenery. As tradition has it, poetry readings were be accompanied by other arts; several concerts, film screenings, street shows, performances, exhibitions, puppet shows, readings for children etc. which took place in the very centre of Ptuj, which was "veiled in art installations for a whole week."

According to Jelka Ciglenečki, director of the festival, Days of Poetry and Wine, "The idea that lies behind the festival is that of enabling a direct and unobstructed dialogue between participants as well as creating an easy flow of information and poetic power between them and the public. This shall lead to better understanding of various poetic practices and of poetry written in different languages, on different geographical locations and in different cultural backgrounds." Ptuj is "a small town in the heart of one of Europe's most fascinating wine-growing regions, at the cross-roads of several cultures. With its idyllic image, it provides an ideal environment for informal and constructive communication between the participants, while its tradition of wine production offers an additional argument for strengthening the poetic dialogue."

This year's special guests were the Australian poet Les Murray, frequently among the favourites to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and without doubt the most important Australian poet; the Swedish classic Tomas Tranströmer, and the Slovene classic Niko Grafenauer. Each of them was honoured by having a book of his poetry translated and published, while poetry of the other guest poets wias published in a beautiful multilingual anthology Days of Poetry and Wine 2010, with versions of each poem in the original language, in Slovenian and in English. Adrian Grima's poems read during the festival and published in the Dnevi poezije in vina 2010 Festival anthology, were translated into English by Antoine Cassar, Maria Grech Ganado and Catherine McGrotty, and into Slovenian by the Slovenian poet and translator Kristina Kočan. The poems are "Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Arlington, Virginia," "Quddiem l-Ispiżerija tal-Gvern," "X’se Tagħmel Meta l-Lejl Jintemm?" "L-Imħabba Bħal Murtal," "Qalb Xagħrek Imqanfed," and "Siem Jiftakar is-Siġar t’Afabet."

A rich selection of wines served throughout the Festival ensured "a relaxed, social atmosphere."
 

Adrian Grima gave his first reading on Tuesday 24th August at Prešernova rojstna hiša - Vrba na Gorenjskem in Vrba, in the house in which France Prešeren, the Slovenian national poet, was born, on 3 December 1800, and brought up. (The Upper Carniolan village of Vrba was then part of the Habsburg Monarchy.) This event was held in cooperation with the Museum of Gorenjska. The other poets who also read in Vrba were Ferenc Rákóczy from Switzerland and David Bedrač from Slovenia.
 

Adrian Grima reading in Prešeren's house in Vrba. Photo by Jelena Justin (Gorenjski muzej)

From left: David Bedrač, the moderator of the evening, Ferenc Rákóczy and Adrian Grima. Photo by Jelena Justin (Gorenjski muzej)

Adrian Grima's second reading, on the main stage of the Festival in Vrazov trg in the heart of the old town of Ptuj, was on 26th August. The poets reading on the night were Stéphane Chaumet (France), Jelena Fanailova, Russia), Toby Martinez de las Rivas, Great Britain), Jure Vuga, Slovenia), Adrian Grima, and (Fabio Scotto, Italy). The readings, which were all in the original languages, with translations in Slovenian and English on a big screen behind the writers, were followed by a concert by Klarisa Jovanović & Tabanda, Stihoglasne pesmi.

Adrian Grima reading in Ptuj. Photo by Jože Suhadolnik

The Festival events also included a most unusual Auction of pillows embroidered with verses from poems read during the festival. The embroidery was done by elderly women in a Slovenian old people's home. One of the pillows, auctioned off at €35, included lines from Adrian Grima's poem, "L-Imħabba Bħal Murtal." The pillow was bought by Slovenian poet and festival director Miljana Cunta. Two of the pillows were auctioned for €80 and €100 respectively. The old people's home received a total of €515 from this auction.

Miljana Cunta and Adrian Grima at the pillow auction in Vrazov trg in Ptuj

All the Festival events, especially those in Ptuj, were very well attended. There were billboards and other publicity material promoting the festival in Ljubljana too. This major bookstore in central Ljubljana, Knjigarna, displayed the programme of the festival, a poem by Adalsteinn Asberg Sigurdsson and another one, "L-Imħabba Bħal Murtal," by Adrian Grima.

"L-Imħabba Bħal Murtal" in the shop window of Knjigarna, Ljubljana

The poets invited to the Festival were: Arkadij Dragomoščenko, Adrian Grima, Aðalsteinn Ásberg Sigurðsson, Agnė Žagrakalytė, Alvin Pang, Daniel Grúň, David Bedrač, Elena Fanaylova, Fabio Scotto, Ferenc Rakoczy, Georgi Gospodinov, Hadžem Hajdarević, Iulian Tănase, Jacek Dehnel, Janos Terey, Jordan Scott, Jure Vuga, Kristina Hočevar, Laura Solomon, Les Murray, Marija Knezevic, Marjana Savka, Myriam Montoya, Niko Grafenauer, Silvestar Vrljić, Stéphane Chaumet, Sylvia Treudl, Toby Martinez de las Rivas, Tomas Tranströmer, and Yuyutsu Sharma.

Bħala parti mill-Festival Evenings on Campus 2010
It-Tnejn, 26 ta' Lulju 2010 - Pjazzetta Dun Karm, l-Università, 8.30pm

TLUQ - lejla skomda ta' letteratura, mużika u arti viżiva
Inizjamed u Versatili

Fi żmien meta l-letteratura Maltija qed tara qawmien ġdid u fl-istess tiffaċċa xkiel mhux mistenni, awturi, artisti u mużiċisti minn ġenerazzjonijiet differenti jiltaqgħu biex jirrakkontaw esperjenzi ta' tluq, relazzjonijiet ta' mħabba ġodda u relazzjonijiet li spiċċaw; il-bidu ta' ħajja ġdida u t-tluq minn din id-dinja; ix-xewqa, intutli ta' ħarba minn mumenti mwiegħra... Hemm stejjer ibsin f'uħud minn dawn il-kitbiet.

Jieħdu sehem

l-awturi Clare Azzopardi, Clifton Azzopardi, Keith Azzopardi, Keith Borg, Leanne Ellul, Claudia Gauci, Adrian Grima, Simone Inguanez, Leli, Nathalie Muscat, Walid Nabhan, u John P. Portelli

il-mużiċisti Marc Galea (kitarra) u Mario Abela (kuntrabaxx)

l-artisti Philip Agius, Trudy Gera u Darren Tanti

Matul il-lejla jkun hemm għall-bejgħ bi prezz speċjali l-ktieb bil-kitbiet, Sekwenzi ta' Tluq, b'disinn tal-qoxra tal-artist Pierre Portelli.
 

Koordinazzjoni ta' Keith Azzopardi u Adrian Grima għal Versatili u Inizjamed.

Dħul u Tluq b'xejn.
 

Avviż: Din il-lejla hija maħsuba għal udjenza matura

Fil-lejla TLUQ u fil-ktejjeb Sekwenzi ta’ Tluq se jiġu ppreżentati dawn ix-xogħlijiet letterarji:

Il-ktieb jinkludi wkoll noti bijografiċi u daħla ta’ Dr. Adrian Grima dwar “Letteratura u Kunflitt.” Din hija silta:

H. Porter Abbott isostni li bir-riżorsi retoriċi “immensi” tagħha, in-narrattiva (u l-letteratura kollha kemm hi) mhux biss hija “strument ta’ poter,” mhux biss tagħtina l-possibbiltà li nifhmu jew almenu niksbu ħjiel ta’ dak li jkun qed jiġri ġo fina u madwarna, imma ħafna drabi tittratta wkoll hija stess il-kwistjoni tal-poter. Fil-fatt il-kelma qadima Griega “agon” li tfisser “kunflitt” tinsab fil-qalba tal-kelmiet “protagonista” u “antagonista.” U għaldaqstant, kif juru x-xogħlijiet f’dan il-ktieb, minbarra li hemm il-kunflitt intern fil-lingwa tal-letteratura, fl-għażla bejn il-kelma u r-ritmu li hemm, ngħidu aħna, u l-kelma u r-ritmu li tkun qed tistenna, għax kif jgħid Peter Widdowson, “even at its most realistic the literary discourse nevertheless constructs the reality it purports to represent,” hemm ukoll rakkonti dwar il-kunflitti li rridu jew ma rridux huma parti integrali mill-eżistenza tagħna bħala bnedmin. Fil-letteratura u fil-ħajja, il-kunflitti jinqalgħu bejn il-personalitajiet imma jinqalgħu wkoll bejn valuri, ideat, sentimenti, u perspettivi tad-dinja.

Ritratti mil-lejla Tluq

meħudin minn Daphne Pia Kelleher

Mas-sebgħin ruħ attendew għall-attività letterarja Tluq li saret fi Pjazzetta Dun Karm fl-Università ta' Malta bħala parti mill-festival Evenings on Campus 2010. Waqt il-qari ta' "L-Imħabba l-Kapriċċ" u "balkani," Adrian Grima kien akkumpanjat minn Marc Galea fuq il-kitarra u Mario Abela fuq il-kuntrabaxx.

Fuq ix-xellug tidher pittura ta' Darren Tanti u fuq il-lemin tidher parti minn pittura ta' Trudy Gera

Marc Galea (kitarra) u Mario Abela (kuntrabaxx)

Poeżiji waqt Taħbit fl-Għabex, fit-Teatru Grieg ta' Ħaż-Żabbar

Il-Ħadd, 25 ta' Lulju, 2010

Nhar il-Ħadd, fuq stedina ta' Mark Abela z-Zizza, qrajt erba' poeżiji fl-attività Taħbit fl-Għabex li saret fit-Teatru Grieg ta' Ħaż-Żabbar.

Ħadu sehem ukoll il-kantawtur Walter Micallef, l-awturi Walid Nabhan u Arndt Kremer, u l-grupp Plato's Dream Machine. Skont Keith Pisani mill-Kunsill ta' Ħaż-Żabbar,

"Taħbit" jista' jfisser kemm 'inkwiet', kif ukoll ħoss li jiġbed l-attenzjoni (bħal meta tmur għand xi ħadd u tħabbatlu l-bieb biex jiftaħ). Għalhekk l-isem "taħbit fl-għabex" jirreferi kemm għall-inkwiet, il-problemi, li jiġu meta jkun wasal biex jidħol il-lejl - "fil-lejl, meta kollox u kulħadd jiskot, meta l-bniedem jispiċċa waħdu, il-ħsibijiet jibdew jitkellmu, jgħajtu, biex jinstemgħu." Iżda fl-istess ħin, dan il-mument ta' silenzju, meta d-diskors frivolu jieqaf, huwa mument ideali biex jitwassal messaġġ. Għalhekk taħbit fl-għabex huwa taħbit, ħsejjes, li jridu jwasslu messaġġ ta' solidarjetà. Iżda huwa wkoll mument ta' gost, ta' pjaċir, għax finalment is-solidarjetà mhi xejn ħlief ċelebrazzjoni sħiħa tal-ħajja. Is-solidarjetà vera tfittex l-ugwaljanza fit-tgawdija tal-ħajja. 

F'dan il-kuntest jien qrajt il-poeżiji "Is-Sale Grandjuż" dwar l-isfruttament tal-Afrika fl-epoka kolonjali (li għada ma spiċċatx) u "Ir-Rota Li Ma Tmur Imkien," it-tnejn minn It-Trumbettier; u "Id-Dubju Fatali," ukoll minn It-Trumbettier, u "X'se Tagħmel Meta l-Lejl Jintemm," Id-Demm Nieżel bħax-Xita.

Matul il-lejla kien hemm ukoll mejda bil-prodotti tal-Kummerċ Ġust mill-Ħanut L-Arka ta' Triq San Pawl, il-Belt.

Poems in German published by Hochroth

Nachdichtungen von Sylvia Geist auf Grundlage der Interlinearübersetzungen aus dem Maltesischen von Ray Fabri und Dominik Kalweit

Nine poems by Adrian Grima have been published in a Maltese-German bilingual edition by hochroth of Berlin. The translations and poetical adaptations were supported by Literaturwerkstatt Berlin, organizers of the poesieberlin festival. Some of the poems in this new collections are new translations by Ray Fabri with poetical adaptations by the German poet Sylvia Geist.

Other poems are versions by the same German poet of poems translated from the Maltese by Ray Fabri and Dominik Kalweit and published in Dir-Rebbiegħa Midruba - DIESER VERWUNDETE FRÜHLING (Edizzjoni Skarta, 2007).

The poems in this collections are:

Iċ-Ċimiterju ta’ Arlington, Virginia - DER FRIEDHOF IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
Missieri Jistenna s-Sema Blu - MEIN VATER WARTET AUF DEN BLAUEN HIMMEL
Ħofor Suwed - SCHWARZE LÖCHER
Dit-Tagħbija Barranija - FREMDE LAST
Ansjetà Oħra - EINE ANGST MEHR
Kanċellazzjoni tal-Istorja - DIE ABSCHAFFUNG DER GESCHICHTE
Tal-Ġelati - DER EISVERKÄUFER
Baħar Jgħum f’Għajnejk - EIN MEER SCHWIMMT IN DEINEN AUGEN
Ċinji - SCHWÄNE

Poesiefestival Berlin 2010
4.-12. Juni
Mittelmeer
 

Adrian Grima has been invited to read at the XI edition of the prestigious poesiefestival berlin in June organized by Literaturwerkstatt. He will be reading nine of his poems in Maltese which have been translated into German from the original by Ray Fabri and Dominik Kalweit and edited by the German poet Sylvia Geist. He will also be taking part in a "poetry discussion" on "Non-Elysian Fields – The island as a poetic possibility" with Cypriot Armenian poet Nora Nadjarian and writer Ron Winkler.

Like the other poets who have been invited to this year's edition of poesieberlin, Adrian Grima will also be recording his poems in Maltese for lyrikline.com.

Grima's poems in Maltese and translation have been published in a booklet by hochroth.

Fri. 11 June 5 pm

Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg 10, Club Room

Entry €5/3

Poetry Discussion: Non-Elysian Fields – The island as a poetic possibility

Featuring Nora Nadjarian Cyprus and Adrian Grima Malta

Introduced by Ron Winkler writer, Berlin

Nora Nadjarian and Adrian Grima, contemporary poets from Malta and Cyprus, will, in conversation with Ron Winkler, be sounding out the poetic spaces that an island can offer as the yearned-for destination of many travellers - as a place of virginity, but also as the island of buried hopes.

With the kind support of: the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus

Fri. 11 June 8 pm

Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg, Kleines Parkett

Entry €6/4

illa - կղզի- gżira - νησί - ada: Islands of words

Featuring George Christodoulides Cyprus Adrian Grima Malta Nora Nadjarian Cyprus Carles Rebassa Majorca Nes,e Yas,in Cyprus  Introduced by Brigitte Oleschinski writer, Berlin

Five poets will open up a poetic panorama including Catalan, the Semitic language Maltese, Turkish, Greek, Armenian and English. They will be locating their home between mass tourism and the fears of isolation, between the island as a crossing-point between cultures and religions and the island as the friction point of history. The evening will be opened with the work En plo (At Sea) by the Cypriot composer Marios Ioannou Elia.

With the kind support of: Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, Institut Ramon Llull

This event is coordinated by Dr. Michaela Prinzinger (in picture, right)

Adrian Grima will be reading the following poems in this order. The German translations by Sylvia Geist based on intermediary translations from the original by Ray Fabri and Dominik Kalweit will be projected on a screen behind the poet.

Iċ-Ċimiterju ta’ Arlington, Virginia
Missieri Jistenna s-Sema Blu
Ħofor Suwed
Dit-Tagħbija Barranija
Ansjetà Oħra
Kanċellazzjoni tal-Istorja
Tal-Ġelati
Baħar Jgħum f’Għajnejk
Ċinji
 

The evening will start with the greeting and thanking of one of the two directors of literaturwerkstatt, then Brigitte Oleschinski will present the first author, Nese Yasin, second George Christodoulides, third Nora Nadjarian. Then there will follow a piece of modern music with two musicians, a sound wave generator and loudspeakers, by the Cypriot composer Marios Ioannou Elia, called "En Plo"/On the Sea.

Then there will readings by Adrian Grima and Carles Rebassa.

http://www.literaturwerkstatt.org/index.php?id=807

Adrian Grima on Children's Literature - The Sunday Times

Peter Farrugia interviews Adrian Grima about writing for children.

Published in The Sunday Times of Malta (6th June 2010)

I do think children's literature should deal with "adult themes," whatever they may be. Some of the hidden conventions of Maltese children's literature have excluded important themes which children have to deal with all the time, like violence, mental and other health issues, family strife, pain, and death, and also international events and conflicts which dominate the media from time to time.

Michael Morpurgo, a writer I like a lot, says that his stories are usually “a confluence of real events, historical perhaps, or from my own memory” that creates “an exciting fusion.”

I love Mao et Moi (2008), for example, by the Paris-based author, artist and book illustrator Chen Jiang Hong (b. 1963, Tianjin, China). Published with the support of the French Centre national du livre, this is a picture book memoir of growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China. It’s a beautifully illustrated though grey story narrated from the point of view of a young boy who has to come to terms with the fact that his father is sent to the forest of Hei Long Jiang for Maoist re-education, with the disappearance of a kind and refined nonconformist neighbour and with the death of his beloved grandfather. It’s a story that’s allows readers, young and old, to enter the world of the narrating boy, to understand and share his experiences, disappointments and aspirations.
 

Jonathan Culler says that stories are the “main way we make sense of things.” Chen story manages to do this so beautifully and effectively. Writers have the duty to tell a good story in engaging ways that respect both the characters they deal with and their readers. Michael Morpurgo says that when he is “writing well and I’m deep inside a story, living it as I write I honestly don’t know what will happen. I try not to dictate it, not to play God. I want my characters to develop and work it out in their own voice.” He does not use his characters as instruments to drive home some message. He simply allows them to live and “tell” their own story.

Good writers are not moralists, or ideologues, or even political activists. They may also be any or all of these, apart from being poets or short story writers, but when they write their first duty is towards their story and their readers. Of course their “non-literary personality” affects their literature, and I find the writings of good writers who are also socially engaged particularly attractive. But a socially committed writer is not necessarily a good writer. It’s mainly he or she uses language that counts.

I think that generally speaking children, like adults, do want to read about real events that are happening around them. I’m sure that many children who have seen Bianca on television or youtube being rushed to hospital or heard about how she and her friends were shot would like to know more about her and what makes her tick. I’m sure that some of them would like to know more about the children she meets every day in war-torn places like Gaza.

In recent years, children’s fiction in Maltese has continued to improve both in content and in the quality of production which is a important element of any book. One must keep in mind that children’s literature in Maltese was only born a few decades ago. There is now an exciting crop of relatively new writers and illustrators, like Clare Azzopardi, Simon Bartolo, Nicole Diacono, Pierre Mejlak, Rita Saliba, and Mark Scicluna, who are eager to break the mold. But even established writers like Trevor Żahra and Vince Vella are always eager to experiment with new form and content.

Censorship is a real problem, though, even (or more so) in this area. It’s stifling and patronizing and it’s doing a lot of harm. It shows a great lack of respect towards both writers and readers and chokes creativity.
 

Il-Kultura Inklussiva fl-abbozz dwar il-Politika Kulturali Nazzjonali

ara dan l-artiklu bħala dokument pdf jew bħala pdf tal-artiklu kif ippubblikat mill-Illum

Dan l-artiklu deher fil-gazzetta Illum tal-Ħadd, 13 ta’ Ġunju, 2010. Huwa silta minn diskors li għamel Adrian Grima dwar “Il-Kultura Inklussiva” waqt laqgħa ta’ Konsultazzjoni dwar l-Abbozz tal-Politika Kulturali għal dawk involuti fil-qasam artistiku organizzata mis-Segretarjat Parlamentari responsabbli mill-Kultura nhar is-Sibt, 5 ta’ Ġunju bejn l-10.00 ta’ filgħodu u n-12.30 fil-Kavallier ta’ San Ġakbu.

Publication of the papers of the Conference about

The European Literary Canons
 

Petőfi Museum, Budapest, 4th-6th March 2010

Organised between the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Literarischer Gesellschaften und Gedenkstätten and the Hungarian Petőfi Museum, the conference took place in the context of our project “Panorama and Perspectives. Literary Societies and Literary Museums in Europe”. From Norway, up in the North, to Cyprus, down in the South, representatives from seventeen European countries attended the conference: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The project started in February 2009 with an international meeting for umbrella organisations and similar institutions concerned with the literary heritage. The papers presented at this meeting have also been published.

"With our overall European project," write the organizers, "we would like to open up opportunities for a long lasting cooperation and networking of European cultural institutions dealing with the literary heritage." This pdf version of the papers was published in June 2010.

An earlier version of Dr. Adrian Grima's paper was presented at the Re-Visions international symposium on Literary Exchange in an Enlarged Europe organized by the international organization Literature Across Frontiers and Inizjamed on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 November 2005 at St. James Cavalier in Valletta, Malta. Inspired amongst others by Roland Barthes' Criticism and Truth, Grima argues that a conception of literature as a space in which the engagement of the reader in the writer’s dynamic relationship with language is vital prompts the new generation of writers in Malta to question whether theirs are literary works without a literature, and not merely whether this literature lacks an audience. "Because a literature is not just a body of published (or even unpublished) works: it is also a dynamic reading and discursive environment within which the literary work is realized, within which literary works become a necessarily dynamic literature." Read all the published papers here.

L-Inklinazzjoni tal-Balla fl-Unika Demokrazija Dik in-Naħa

Nhar is-Sibt, 25 ta’ April, 2010, is-suldati Iżraeljani li qed jokkupaw l-artijiet tal-Palestinjani sparaw fuq Bianca Zammit, Hind Al Akra, Nidal Al Naql, waqt protesta paċifika f’Al Meghazi f’Gaża. (Ritratt: Max Ajl)

Il-gazzetta Illum tal-Ħadd, 2 ta' Mejju, 2010, ippubblikat erba' poeżiji b'solidarjetà mal-ħabiba tiegħi Bianca u sħabha, persuna li nammira ħafna.

Il-poeżij l-oħrajn huma ta' Keith Azzopardi, li ħa l-inizjattiva biex jidhru dawn il-poeżiji fl-Illum, il-ġurnalista Karl Schembri li jinsab Gaża, u Antoine Cassar.
 

F'artiklu minn Gaża, Karl Schembri jikteb hekk:

The demonstrations organised by ISM and local organisations on the Gaza buffer zone with Israel are inspired by the non-violent protests held every Friday in Na’alin and Bil’in in the West Bank, where the ISM is also active with Palestinians, Israeli and foreign activists.

“We are a threat to the Israeli occupation because whenever there are foreigners documenting violations they are exposed to the world,” Zammit said. “That’s mainly our mandate: to be present alongside Palestinians who are fighting their cause. This is not our conflict, we are there to try and deter violations and to document them when they happen.” Ara l-artiklu hawnhekk.

Ara l-video tal-attakk:

Bianca Zammit shot
3 min 59 sec - 25 Apr 2010
www.youtube.com

Ġrajjiet Prekarji - Ċelebrazzjoni Letterarja u Storika ta' Jum il-Ħaddiema

Data: 1 ta' Mejju 2010
Post:

Fl-okkażjoni ta' Jum il-Ħaddiema, l-1 ta' Mejju, il-Moviment Graffitti, Moviment Azzjoni Xellug, il-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust u Kollettiv ir-Realtà tellgħu lejla letterarja ta' tliet sigħat dwar ir-realtajiet tal-ħaddiema f'Malta u madwar id-dinja f'Bir Mula Heritage, Bormla, fis-7.00 ta' filgħaxija.

F'din il-lejla ppartecipaw diversi kittieba, studjużi u mużicisti. Fra Ġwann introduċa l-lejla b'diskors qasir dwar in-nisel ta' Jum il-Ħaddiema u l-ġrajjiet ta' Chicago waqt li Mark Camilleri tkellem dwar l-istorja tal-kisba tal-jeddijiet tal-ħaddiema f'Malta matul is-seklu 20. Fra Ġwann iddedika l-lejla lill-attivista Maltija tal-International Solidarity Movement f'Gaża Bianca Zammit, li ftit ġranet qabel sparaw fuqha u laqtuha s-suldati Iżraeljani waqt protesta paċifika qrib il-fruntiera magħluqa mal-Iżrael, u lill-ġurnalist u kittieb f'Gaża Karl Schembri. Emanuel Psaila qara poeżija mibgħuta apposta minn Karl marbuta mat-tema.

Il-kantawtriċi żagħżugħa Taljana Arianna Zunino, akkumpanjata minn Anne Bugeja fuq l-argunett interpretaw għadd ta' kanzunetti bit-Taljan (uħud minnhom maqlubin għall-Malti) marbutin mat-tema tal-lejla. Antonio Dato għalaq il-lejla b'rakkont personali dwar l-għoxrin sena li għamel jaħdem it-Tarzna li għalqet f'April. L-attivisti u l-kittieba li nqraw ix-xogħlijiet tagħhom kienu Glen Calleja (moqri minn Keith Borg), Keith Borg, Adrian Grima, Miguel Debattista (studju qasir), Nathalie Grima (dwar ix-xogħol, il-kummerċ ġust u l-qtil, ftit ġranet qabel, ta' attivista tal-kummerċ ġust Finlandiż fil-Messiku), Emanuel Psaila (żewġ xogħlijiet, wieħed minnhom moqri minn Angele Deguara u Daniela Attard Bezzina), u Walid Nabhan. 

Adrian Grima qara l-ewwel taqsima min-novella tiegħu għall-adolexxenti, Fabbrika tar-Rikordji, ispirata mill-istorja vera ta' tifel ta' tlettax li jaħdem f'fabbrika tal-ħwejjeġ, u siltiet mill-bijografija tiegħu ta' Anna Xerri ambjentati fil-fabbrika Lloyd Shoes fejn ħadmet għal kważi erbatax-il sena.

Wara l-qari u l-mużika John Vella ta' Bir Mula Heritage u l-Moviment Graffitti ħejjew ftit ikel u xorb għal dawk li kienu preżenti.

Żewġ sessjonijiet ta' kitba f'ĦARBA - Festival Internazzjonali tal-Letteratura għat-Tfal

mill-Erbgħa, 21 ta’ April sal-Ħadd, 25 ta’ April 2010, mill-10.00 am sas-6.00 pm

fiċ-Ċentru għall-Kreattività tal-Kavallier ta’ San Ġakbu, fil-Belt Valletta

organizzat minn Inizjamed u l-Kavallier ta’ San Ġakbu u bl-għajnuna tal-Fond Malti għall-Arti.
 

Bħala parti mill-attivitajiet tal-Festival ĦARBA, mijiet ta’ studenti mill-iskejjel primarji u sekondarji ħadu sehem fi tliet sessjonijiet interattivi matul in-nofs ta’ nhari ta’ filgħodu. Ġie ppreżentat id-dramm Ix-Xini Msaħħar imnebbaħ minn ħrafa Russa bid-direzzjoni ta’ Paul Portelli u bis-sehem ta’ atturi-għalliema mid-Drama Unit. Il-kompożitur u mużiċist Alex Vella Gregory u l-awtur Trevor Żahra ppreżentaw programm bl-isem ta’ Radju Paroli, waqt li t-tfal kitbu u pinġew huma stess flimkien ma’ bosta awturi u artisti, fosthom Adrian Grima, Nicole Diacono, Rita Saliba, Rita Borg, u Madeleine Dargue.

Fit-tliet sessjoniet ta' kitba u tpinġija ma' Nicole Diacono u miegħi nhar il-Ħamis, 22 ta' April, it-tfal sema' xi poeżiji tiegħi u mbagħad komplew waħda minn żewġ poeżiji li bdejtilhom jien u pinġew: "Ma nafx għaliex ħrabtilna" u "Kultant nixtieq nittajjar." Kien hemm ukoll tfal li kitbu poeżija li kienet differenti minn dak li pproponejt jien. (Fir-ritratt, tfal waqt sessjoni ta' kitba u tpinġija tal-Ħamis filgħodu.)

Fost ix-xogħlijiet li qrajt kien hemm poeżija ġdida bl-isem ta' "Pappa l-Parola," xogħol li fih esperimentajt b'ġeneru li ma tantx niddelitta bih, il-poeżija bla sens, jew kważi, u verament ħadt pjaċir naħdem fuqha u naqraha u jidher li ntgħoġbot. Qrajt ukoll "Joseph u Jean," dwar refuġjat mill-Kongo li jaħrab man-neputi tiegħu Jean u jispiċċa Malta, waħdu; "Nagħmel bih li rrid," dwar il-ħarba fid-dinja tal-istejjer u l-kotba; "Minuta Nifs," dwar it-tfal li msieken ikollhom isiefru mal-ġenituri; u poeżija tat-tifel Manuel Zarb dwar kif taħrab mill-iskola, "Tlaqt 'l Hemm Jien!"

L-attivitajiet ta' Ħarba bdew nhar l-Erbgħa, 21 ta’ April u baqgħu sejrin sal-Ħadd, 25 ta’ April 2010 mill-10.00 am sas-6.00 pm. Fil-programm kien hemm attivitajiet għat-tfal ta’ diversi etajiet, għall-artisti, il-kittieba u l-pubblikaturi u għall-pubbliku inġenerali. Id-dħul għall-attivitajiet kollha kien b’xejn.

Il-Ħadd, 25 ta' April, imbagħad, bejn l-4.00pm u l-5.00pm, tfal ta' bejn 9 u 12-il sena kellhom sessjoni ta’ kitba ma' Rita Saliba u miegħi. Jien qrajt ħafna mill-istess xogħlijiet li qrajt fis-sessjoni għall-iskejjel tal-Ħamis. Iżda bdejt b'parti minn poeżija għat-tfal dwar il-paċifista Maltija Bianca Zammit li l-ġurnata ta' qabel, is-Sibt, 24 ta' April, intlaqet b'balla sparata minn sniper Iżraeljan waqt protesta paċifika kontra s-serq tal-art tal-bdiewa f'Gaża. Nies bħal Bianca għandhom ikunu eżempji għalina lkoll, kbar u żgħar.

L-awtriċi Rita Saliba qrat ukoll tlieta poeżiji tagħha marbutin mat-tema tal-Festival, u t-tifel Manuel Zarb qara l-poeżija tiegħu "Tlaqt 'l Hemm Jien!" miktuba apposta għall-Festival u stampata fuq il-bookmark uffiċjali. (Stampa fuq il-lemin, xogħol waqt il-workshop tal-Ħamis ta' Nicole Diacono.)
 

Il-qofol tas-sessjoni kien meta bdew jiktbu t-tfal infushom, li jew komplew il-poeżiji li pproponejt fis-sessjoni tal-Ħamis jew kitbu xogħol tagħhom. It-tfal kollha kitbu u ħafna minnhom qraw ix-xogħol quddiem kulħadd. Kitbu wkoll bosta ġenituri li wħud minnhom qraw xogħolhom quddiem l-oħrajn.

Għenu wkoll fl-organizzazzjoni tal-Festival ĦARBA Literature Across Frontiers, il-programm Kultura tal-Unjoni Ewropea, il-Ministério da Cultura tal-Portugall, Institut Ramon Llull, The British Council, Merlin Library, il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb, MCAST u l-Fondazzjoni għal Servizzi Edukattivi. Il-koordinazzjoni tal-Festival kienet f'idejn Clare Azzopardi megħjuna minn Darren Tanti.

Għal aktar tagħrif żur: http://www.inizjamed.org
 

Karta Saħħara - Campus FM - Il-letteratura għat-tfal

Fuq Campus FM ixxandret is-sensiela ta' Sergio Grech Karta Saħħara dwar il-letteratura għat-tfal. Fil-ħmistax-il programm kien hemm interventi tiegħi, ta' Pierre Mejlak u ta' Ġorġ Peresso.

Fil-kummenti tiegħi tkellimt dwar l-għażla li nikteb bil-Malti u d-diffikultà ta' kittieba bħali biex niddjalogaw ma' tfal Maltin li ma jafux bil-Malti. Tkellimt ukoll fuq il-firxa ta' temi u stili li għandhom għad-dispożizzjoni tagħhom il-kittieba għat-tfal. Ir-rikording ta' dan il-programm jista' jinstema' hawnhekk: http://campusfm.um.edu.mt/Convertedaudio/karta_sahhara/karta15.wma

Tfulija Adulta

Riċensjoni ppubblikata fil-gazzetta Illum (fil-11 ta' April 2010)

Norbert Bugeja, Bliet (Emma Delezio, 2009), 126 paġna, €10

Id-direttur tal-films Jean-Marie Straub jemmen li “Test huwa bħal fetħa fil-foresta, hemm ħafna mogħdijiet minn fejn toħroġ. Jekk timponi ħruġ wieħed, ma jibqax test, isir sett ta’ struzzjonijiet.” Il-letteratura ta’ kwalità, bħall-poeżija ta’ Norbert Bugeja, ma tistax trossha f’mogħdija waħda għax tkun qed tittradixxi n-natura miftuħa tagħha. Ma tistax timponi triq waħda biex tersaq lejn test, jew biex toħroġ minnu.

Forsi test letterarju huwa l-foresta nfisha, b’unità apparenti li kapaċi tostor kumplessità organika li iktar ma tmissha iktar titkattar, qisha xena minn film tal-fantaxjenza li fih l-aljeni jimmultiplikaw kull darba li tipprova taħfinhom. B’poeżiji bħal “Cafè Jubilee, Ritratt” u “Wara d-Diska li Nħobbu Tant” hekk jiġrili. (Ħafna mill-poeżiji ilna nafhom is-snin għax Norbert kitibhom fil-kuntest ta’ proġetti kreattivi ta’ Inizjamed.) “Wara d-Diska” flejtha kemm stajt meta aktar minn sentejn ilu bdejt naħdem fuq id-daħla għal dan il-ktieb straordinarju. Imma meta rġajt qbadtha ftit ġranet ilu kienet poeżija ġdida għalija, foresta li nafha sew u ma nafha xejn. Fasslitli rotot ideat, qanqlitli emozzjonijiet li ma kontx ġarrabt qabel.

Il-poeżija ta’ Bugeja tinkiteb bil-għan li tisfida, bla mistħija ta’ xejn, l-ideat tagħna dwar il-funzjoni tal-kliem u l-letteratura. Fil-biċċa l-kbira tal-poeżiji fi Bliet hemm xi ħaġa skunċertanti li kontinwament tispustjana, tiskomodana. U mhux faċli tiddeċiedi minn fejn tibda taqrah, kif tkomplih, għax kull bidu jimplika vjaġġ differenti.

Tista’ tibda, ngħidu aħna, mill-aħħar, mit-“toroq ħiemda li għexna – talba.” Post sabiħ biex tispiċċa, jew tibda. Tidher stramba din it-taqsima tal-ktieb – forsi ma tistennihiex fl-aħħar. L-iktar ħaġa li intrigatni kienet il-post li taha fl-aħħar tal-ktieb. Il-poeżiji dwar tfulitu poġġihom fl-aħħar f’sekwenza li donnha teħodna mill-preżent għall-passat imbiegħed. Imma f’din it-taqsima hemm ħjiel tad-destinazzjoni li donnu jrid ifassal Norbert, il-kenn tar-reliġjon u l-figura tal-Missier Alla ħanin, in-nostalġija ħelwa, konxjament romantiċizzata, tat-tifel u t-tfulija. Il-ktieb jibda b’oħtu Nicole fid-dedika, dik li għexet miegħu t-traġitt mit-tfulija għall-adultezza, u jispiċċa bit-tfulija u sħabu tas-Siġġiewi li għexha magħhom.

Fil-fatt tista’ taqra dan il-ktieb mod ieħor, tivvjaġġa minn tfulija għal oħra. Hemm ħafna iktar tfulija f’dawn il-poeżiji milli taħseb. Jekk tittawwal fl-irkejjen, kultant moħbijin, tal-kbar, issib it-tfulija, bħalma ssibha fil-“mara liebsa żifna sewda” ta’ “Cafè Jubilee, Ritratt,” jew fil-poetessa b’xuxitha ħamra li tirkeb ir-rota bla kelm’ oħra u tintilef fl-anarkija tal-maltemp. Hemm ukoll it-tfulija, fost l-oħrajn, fl-idejn bl-ingwanti quddiem il-magna tal-bottijiet li f’waqt ta’ dmija jfittxu l-memorja mtertqa tal-“Mamà” assenti li “int biss għalija.” It-tfulija tal-aħħar taqsima hija kważi ċelebrazzjoni – imma fil-bqija tal-Bliet, bħal fil-poeżija verament emozzjanti ddedikata lil Leslie Vassallo, hija sikwit moħbija jew miżmuma kemm kemm taħt il-wiċċ u dejjem fraġli.

Tista’ timxi minn memorja għal oħra: żomm f’moħħok biss li għal Norbert Bugeja l-memorji huma finta, imma kulm’ m’għandna memorji – kulm’aħna memorji. (“Via Fori Imperiali, Wara l-Kunċert”)

Jew tista’ taqbad il-“Preludju għall-Belt ta’ Taħtna,” poeżija oħra li għextha, bħallikieku għall-ewwel darba, jien u naqraha mill-ġdid, u tuża lilha bħala l-gwida tiegħek. Hija poeżija dwar il-qedem tal-belt, ix-xewqa u t-trawma tagħna; u bħall-Intermezz tal-“Kafè fuq il-Port,” hija poeżija dwar kif il-qedem jasal qabilna.

Jekk hemm fil komuni bejn il-bliet Maltin u barranin, esterni u ġewwenin ta’ Bugeja, hija l-multipliċità u l-multidimensjonalità: il-ħafna wċuħ, il-ħafna mumenti, il-ħafna turmenti tal-belt u l-bliet li nabitaw u jabitawna. Mhux ta’ b’xejn “Dil-belt” imqallba ta’ Bugeja tinsab “b’sugħajha f’ħalqha għal-lest / biex taqla’ kollox,” (“Requiem għal Dak Li Baqa’”) donnha l-unika soluzzjoni li għandna biex tindaf mill-ispettri tal-passat li huma iktar preżenti mill-preżent.  

Jekk hemm belt waħda (għall-bidu l-ktieb kien se jkun jismu “Belt”) hija t-tiftixa intensa li tissarraf sikwit f’sinestesija, fit-tlaqqigħ ta’ sensi differenti u kunfliġġenti. Wara kollox, it-trasformazzjoni f’salt li sseħħ permezz tal-metafora mhix sempliċiment mument jew kumbinazzjoni imma f’Norbert Bugeja donnha hija strateġija narrattiva, bħal meta l-mara ta’ “Cafè Jubilee, Ritratt” issir tifla f’salt, f’żewġ kelmiet (“toppi żgħar”) bla ma tavżana. Minħabba din il-multipliċità mqarba u inevitabbli, u fl-isfond taċ-ċaqliq kontinwu f’kull direzzjoni li jqanqal dawn il-poeżiji, tinħass regolarment, kultant b’mod ossessiv, it-tiftixa għall-“Ħanini, ħanini” li “mindu tlaqt int,” “tħarbtu t-toroq ta’ din il-belt” qadima u dejjem ġdida (“Preludju għall-Belt ta’ Taħtna”) li, bħall-metafora, nippruvaw naħkmuha imma minflok taħkimna hi.

Maltese Poetry at International Night

More than two hundred people attended an International Night organized by The Arabic Culture Information Society on 30th March 2010 at the Golden Tulip Vivaldi Hotel in St Julians that started at 7.30pm.

The event was held with the help of the Malta Tourism Authority, Golden Tulip Vivaldi Hotel, JEF Malta, Malta Anthropology Society, Women's Federation for World Peace, Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, Stand4Palestine-Malta and VersAgħtini Il-Kelma Maltija.

The evening included live music, dancing, exhibitions, traditional costumes and food from over 20 countries from different continents. Performances included belly dancing, singing from Slovenia, Sudan, Japan, Jordan and Malta, traditional Middle Eastern dance, an exhibition of traditional costumes, and the recital of poetry.

There were also several tables with traditional food and sweets from different countries. The event was coordinated by Sanaa El-Nahhal of The Arabic Culture Information Society.

One of the invited poets was Adrian Grima who read three of his poems in Maltese, "L-Imħabba Bħal Murtal," "Kieku Kelli Lanċa Żgħira" and "It-Traġedja tal-Iljunfant Li Ried Jidħol f'Gaġġa tal-Għasafar."

Premio Storie 2009 per la scrittura momentista

Adrian Grima huwa r-rebbieħ tal-Premio Storie 2009 per la scrittura momentista (sezione straniera), premju mogħti għal kitba "mumentista" minn Leconte Editore u r-rivista letterarja internazzjonali Storie. Il-kitba ta' Grima, "Triq il-Mediterran," ntgħażlet minn fost sbatax-il kitba li ħadu sehem fl-inizjattiva Ten Minutes Malta kkoordinata mill-antropologa Taljana Virginia Monteforte li kitbet teżi fuq il-letteratura kontemporanja Maltija. Pierre Mejlak rebaħ il-Premju mogħti mill-Qarrejja.

Il-mumentiżmu twieled f'forma embrijonika fit-tieni nofs tas-snin sebgħin tas-seklu għoxrin. Wara bosta snin ta' sperimentazzjoni kważi klandestina dan il-metodu ta' kitba ġie inawgurat uffiċjalment fid-19 ta' April 2001 bil-pubblikazzjoni tal-antoloġija Pomeriggio li fiha 140 kittieb u kittieba mid-dinja kollha rrakkontaw x'raw u x'għexu f'dak il-jum eżattament bejn is-17.50 u s-18.00.

Il-finalisti l-oħrajn kienu Joe Friggeri, Immanuel Mifsud, Matthew Vella, Karl Schembri, Simone Inguanez, Clare Azzopardi, Mario Azzopardi, u Ġużè Stagno. Il-kittieba l-oħrajn kienu Stanley Borg, Victor Fenech, Oliver Friggieri, Maria Grech Ganado, Roderick Mallia, Mark Vella, u Raphael Vella. Il-verżjoni Taljana tal-kitba oriġinali ta' Adrian Grima bil-Malti, saret minn fuq il-verżjoni bl-Ingliż minn Federica Ressi. Il-kitbiet kollha tal-awturi Maltin kienu dehru, b'introduzzjoni ta' Virginia Monteforte, fil-ħarġa 62/63 ta' Storie (Ġunju/Settembru) tal-2008 f'ħarġa bl-isem ta' New Yorkers. Kienu nkitbu bejn is-17.50 u s-18.00 tad-29 ta' Novembru 2007.

Il-ġurija tal Premio Storie 2009 per la scrittura momentista kienet magħmula mill-Bord Editorjali tar-rivista internazzjonali Storie e b'mod partikulari minn: Gianluca Bassi (awtur u editur ta' Storie. President tal-Ġurija), Barbara Pezzopane (editriċi), Mary Morris (awtriċi u ġurnalista),
Larry Freifield (poeta u fotografu) u Domingo Notaro (pittur u poeta).

Skont il-ġurija, il-proża ta' Adrian Grima, li "qatt mhi każwali, tevita b'mod sabiħ l-enfasi letterarja. Il-kliem magħżul bil-qies juri Malta komuni imma fl-istess ħin rappreżentattiva. Din hija silta prezzjuża mix-xogħol ta' awtur li diġà huwa indipendenti."

Għal aktar tagħrif ara "Triq il-Mediterran" published in English and Italian in Storie, 62/63

Paper read at Budapest conference on “The European Literary Canons” in March

Dr. Adrian Grima was invited to speak at a three-day conference on “The European Literary Canons” at the Petőfi Museum in Budapest (in picture) in March. His paper was called "Works in Search of a Literature."

In order to support and enhance the networking between literary societies and museums throughout Europe, the ALG has initiated the European project “Panorama
and Perspectives. Literary Societies and Literary Museums in Europe”. It started in February 2009 with an international meeting for umbrella organisations and similar
institutions concerned with the literary heritage. The conference on “The European Literary Canons” was organised by the Hungarian Petőfi Museum and the German umbrella organisation for literary societies and museums, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Literarischer Gesellschaften und Gedenkstätten e.V. (ALG).

Representatives from seventeen European countries attended the conference: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Most of the papers read at the conference are available here.

Maltese Translation of Ronny Someck poem

A translation into Maltese by Adrina Grima of the poem in Hebrew by Ronny Someck "Napkin" has been included in the full-colour catalogue (February 2010) of the art exhibition by poet and artist Ronny Someck held at The Museum of Israeli Art, Ramat-Gan. The catalogue includes copies of Ronny Someck's painting and translations of his poem into Arabic, English (by Vivian Eden), Catalan and Castillian (by Manuel Forcano), Italian (by Sarah Kaminski and Maria Teresa Milano), French (by Marlea Braester) and other languages.

Adrian Grima's translation into Maltese is based on versions of the poem in English, Italian and French and discussions with Ronny Someck, a longtime friend.

According to Rami Saari, the poetry of Ronny Someck "deals with the most basic elements of daily life in an original and convincing way." He "brings his readers into situations where his own memories and personality are combined with the everyday reality of people with whom he works, people whose daily sorrows and happiness and whose inner worlds have deeply affected him. His is a humanistic view of the world and this element of humanity universalizes Someck’s poetry, allowing for the relative ease of its translation into other languages."

The award-winning poet and artist Ronny Someck was born in Baghdad in 1951 and went to Israel as a young child. He studied Hebrew literature and philosophy at Tel Aviv University and art at the Avni Academy of Art. He has worked with street gangs, and currently teaches literature and leads creative writing workshops. He has published 10 volumes of poetry (most recently Algeria) and a book for children with his daughter Shirly (The Laughter Button). Selections of his poems have appeared in Arabic translation, French (with the exiled Iraqi poet- A.K. El-Janabi), Catalan, Albanian , Italian, Macedonian, Croatian, Yiddish, Nepali, Dutch and English. He has recorded three discs with the musician Elliott Sharp, “Revenge of the Stuttering Child”, “Poverty Line” and “A Short History of Vodka.” Exhibitions of his art were held in 1998 (“Nature’s Factory, winter 2046” with Beny Efrat), 2004 ("Hawadja Bialik"), 2007 ("Real Madrid") and 2010 ("Napkin"). Ronny Someck is a member of the Public Council of the Batsheva Dance Company and the Hebrew-Arabic Theatre.

Żewġ sessjonijiet ta' kitba kreattiva - Fondazzjoni għal Servizzi Edukattivi

Nhar it-Tlieta, 23 ta' Frar u t-Tlieta, 16 ta' Marzu għamilt żewġ sessjonijiet ta' kitba kreattiva ma' grupp ta' tfal u adolexxenti minn 10 sa 15-il sena li qed jagħmlu kors ta' sena fil-kitba kreattiva organizzat mill-Fondazzjoni għal Servizzi Edukattivi u mmexxi minn Clare Azzopardi. Is-sessjonijiet kienu marbutin mat-tema tal-Ħarba li hija t-tema ewlenija tal-Festival Internazzjonali tal-Letteratura għat-Tfal li se jsir bejn il-21 u l-25 ta' April li ġej organizzat minn Clare Azzopardi bl-għajnuna ta' Darren Tanti.

Uħud mit-tfal bdew jesperimentaw bil-kitba ta' poeżija fl-ewwel sessjoni li għamilna flimkien, imbagħad bagħtuli l-ewwel abbozz tagħha bl-email. Fit-tieni sessjoni ddiskutejt dawn l-abbozzi magħhom individwalment u ssuġġerejtilhom xi tibdiliet. Il-verżjoni finali ta' dawn il-poeżiji dwar il-ħarba se jkunu għall-wiri fil-bini tal-Kavallier ta' San Ġakbu matul il-Festival ĦARBA u waħda mill-poeżiji se tintgħażel biex titqassam lit-tfal li jattendu bħala bookmark.

Seminar on Intercultural Dialogue in Practice

Dr. Adrian Grima was one of the speakers at a seminar-workshop on “Intercultural Dialogue in Practice” held on 26th February at Dar l-Ewropa in Valletta. Dr. Grima's paper dealt with the representation of the Mediterranean in Malta and was inspired mainly by his paper on "The Taste of the Mediterranean and other Kinnies." The theme of the seminar was “Intercultural Dialogue from Theory to Practice: Networking and key issues on project development within Maltese and Euro-Mediterranean Contexts.”

This one-day seminar was organized by the Head of the Anna Lindh Malta Network, the Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta and the Malta Network Members in conjunction with the Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit (FTZ) and coordinated by Vanessa Ficarra. The seminar aimed to generate an exchange of ideas, discuss tools and good practices in the fields of intercultural dialogue in Malta. It brought together representatives from a wide range of organizations with the objective to find and encourage national cooperation to promote acceptance and tolerance among the people of the Euro-Mediterranean region.

"In Malta, the Mediterranean becomes part of our discourse when it has the potential to sell. The grand narrative of the Mediterranean is inevitably bound to tourism, normally mass tourism, and to the cliché of building bridges between peoples. There is little public interest (that is, outside the realm of academia and niche cultural initiatives) to scrape the surface of these clichés, to explore centuries’ old links, to treat cultural, political and environmental issues regionally. Malta has taken some very important initiatives over the years, most notably in the fields of peace brokering and the law of the sea. But most Maltese would find it difficult to name even a handful of major political or cultural figures living in the region today. Most Maltese know next to nothing, for example, about the literatures of the vast majority of Mediterranean
countries. The social and cultural aspirations of the Maltese lie further north."

Adrian Grima is the coordinator of the Mediterranean cultural organization Inizjamed, which is a registered NGO and member of the Malta network of the Anna Lindh Foundation. He is a Senior Lecturer in Maltese literature in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta and an award-winning poet.

Taħdita ta' Adrian Grima dwar Feliċ ta' Juan Mamo u x-Xellug
 

Bħala parti minn sensiela ta' taħditiet organizzata mill-Moviment Azzjoni Xellug fil-Workers' Memorial Building, il-Belt Valletta, Adrian Grima tkellem dwar ir-rappreżentazzjoni tax-xellug f'rumanz meqjus bħala "xellugi" ta' Juan Mamo. Din hija silta mill-introduzzjoni tat-taħdita li saret fil-25 ta' Frar, 2010.

"Fl-aħħar tat-taħdita tiegħu bħal-lum ħmistax, Dr. Marco Galea staqsa tliet mistoqsijiet: Jista’ x-xellug ikollu letteratura? Min jista’ jagħtihielu? X’mezzi jistgħu jintużaw biex din il-letteratura tinxtered? Naħseb likieku jien nieqaf fl-ewwel mistoqsija, dwar jekk ix-xellug jistax ikollu letteratura, u nwieġeb li ma jistax, almenu mhux letteratura tiegħu, jew mibdija minnu, jew miktuba għalih. Il-punt tiegħi huwa li x-xellug għandu bżonn il-letteratura ħafna iktar milli l-letteratura għandha bżonn ix-xellug. Naħseb li ideoloġija waħda, programm politiku wieħed, dinamiku kemm hu dinamiku, wiesa’ kemm hu wiesa’, jista’ joħnoq il-letteratura. Naturalment, il-kitba u l-qari tal-letteratura jistgħu jiffjorixxu f’ambjent soċjali, politiku u kulturali li jirrispetta l-membri kollha tal-komunità, li ma jħallix l-interessi ta’ ftit jiddominaw fuq il-ħafna, jew tal-ħafna fuq il-ftit; f’ambjent li jinkoraġġixxi l-ħsieb ħieles u l-kreattività u ma jħallix interpretazzjoni waħda jew rakkont wieħed tal-ġrajjiet, anki jekk ma jkunx malizzjuż, kif sikwit ikun, jokkupa l-ispazji kollha tal-ħsieb. Il-kreattività letterarja jkollha ħafna fejn timraħ f’ambjent li fih, biex nikkwota frażi għalija ġenjali ta’ Vandana Shiva, mhemmx “monokulturi tal-moħħ” li jimponu l-kultivazzjoni ta’ ħsieb dominanti biex iservi ponn interessi u jagħġen il-ħsieb u l-imġiba ta’ komunità lokali u mondjali. Il-kitba u l-qari tal-letteratura żgur li jbatu f’ambjent sterili u jimirħu f’ambjent ħieles u kreattiv.

Imma jkollna ngħidu wkoll li f’ambjent ripressiv li fih ikun hemm interessi jew kulturi dominanti li jippruvaw jimponu l-monokulturi tal-ħsieb, kapaċi titqanqal, u ġieli iżjed titqanqal, letteratura, anki letteratura mill-aqwa, imqarba, sovversiva, kreattiva. Biżżejjed tara dak li kiteb García Márquez fi żmien it-traġedji tal-Amerika Latina, b’ripressjoni brutali instigata jew approvata mill-Istati Uniti tal-Ħelsien li jassret miljuni ta’ nies u wasslet għall-qtil ta’ mijiet ta’ eluf (il-kontinent li jsejjaħlu 'that boundless realm of haunted men and historic women, whose unending obstinacy blurs into legend'); jew dak li kiteb Solzhenitsyn fil-kampijiet tax-xogħol iebes tas-Siberja f’dik li kellha tkun id-dinja ideali soċjalista tal-proleterjat."

Riħ min-Nofsinhar Jirbaħ il-Premju Nazzjonali għall-iktar ktieb kreattiv fl-2008

Waqt is-serata tal-għoti tal-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb għal xogħlijiet li ħarġu fl-2008 li saret nhar il-Ġimgħa 22 ta' Jannar, 2010 fil-Berġa ta' Kastilja, il-ktieb Riħ min-Nofsinhar. It-tibdil fil-klima skont Immanuel Mifsud u Adrian Grima rebaħ il-premju speċjali tal-kreattività. (Ara r-rebbieħa kollha hawnhekk.)

Riħ min-Nofsinhar (Edizzjoni Skarta, 2008; ISBN: 978-99932-652-5-2) fih sensiela ta' poeżiji marbutin mat-tema tat-tibdil fil-klima f'Malta u fi bnadi oħrajn tad-dinja u l-kitba tiegħu kienet ispirata minn proġett tal-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust u l-festival tal-kummerċ ġust WorldFest 2008. Il-ktieb fih ukoll kontributi dwar it-tibdil fil-klima ta' nies minn diversi oqsma: Joseph Sciberras u Joe Galea, bdiewa mill-Koperattiva Rurali Manikata; il-kittieb u edukatur, Mario Cardona; l-ambjentalista Annalise Falzon; Kurt Sansone, editur tal-gazzetta Illum; il-politiku Ralph Cassar; Nathalie Grima mill-Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust; Christine Borg mill-Malta Breastfeeding Foundation; u s-soċjologa Angele Deguara.

Antoine Cassar kiteb reċensjoni ta' dan il-ktieb li dehret f'World Literature Today u Babelmed; Isabelle Vella Gregory għamlet riċensjoni f'The Times, waqt li l-Onor. Evarist Bartolo kkwota minnu fil-Parlament u kiteb artiklu li deher fil-Malta Today. Mario Azzopardi intervista lill-awturi dwar dan il-ktieb fil-gazzetta In-Nazzjon Tagħna, waqt li Adrian Grima tkellem fuqu fil-programm Reporter fuq Television Malta u Neville Bezzina kiteb fuqu fil-fuljett elettroniku tal-Friends of the Earth. Immanuel Mifsud u Carmel Cacopardo kitbu fuq Riħ min-Nofsinhar fil-bloggs tagħhom. Fit-tnedija ħadu sehem Siem Gabir, Mario Cardona, Annalise Falzon, il-Ministru George Pullicino, l-Onor. Leo Brincat, il-Perit Carmel Cacopardo u s-soċjologa Anna Zammit. Għal dan il-materjal ara l-paġna dwar Riħ min-Nofsinhar fis-sit elettroniku ta' Edizzjoni Skarta.

L-għażla tar-rebbieħ tal-aktar ktieb kreattiv li ħareġ fl-2008 saret minn fost il-165 ktieb li daħlu għall-Premju tal-Ktieb għall-2008. Dan il-premju ngħata mill-Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni, Żgħażagħ, Kultura u Sport għall-ewwel darba fl-okkażjoni tas-Sena Ewropea tal-Kreattività u l-Innovazzjoni (2009), inizjattiva tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea biex tenfasizza l-importanza tal-kreattività u l-innovazzjoni għall-iżvilupp personali, soċjali ekonomiku. (Ara l-Manifest għall-Kreattività u l-Innovazzjoni fl-Ewropa.)

Il-Lingwa Mxattra tal-Letteratura

Riċensjoni ppubblikata fil-gazzetta Illum (fit-28 ta' Frar 2010)

Walid Nabhan, Lura d-Dar, u ġrajjiet oħra li ma ġrawx (Klabb Kotba Maltin, 2009). 92 paġna, €7

Dawn in-novelli b’nisġa kumplessa ta’ psikoloġija, filosofija u politika u ta’ karattri li ma jinsewx – għax ma jistgħux u ma jridux – jistabbilixxu lil Walid Nabhan, Palestinjan imwieled il-Ġordan u llum ċittadin Malti, bħala wieħed mill-awturi l-aktar awtentiċi tal-letteratura Maltija l-ġdida. Nabhan jirrakkonta l-istejjer tiegħu b’intensità emottiva u fl-istess ħin b’ironija, bi stqarrijiet qosra qishom daqqiet u b’ripetizzjonijiet kultant twal u retoriċi. Jirrakkonta stejjer, bħal “Lura d-Dar fir-Ritratt ma’ Bin Laden,” li jqallbulek il-lejl ta’ taħt fuq, għax taf li mhumiex stejjer.

Kultant donnu jersaq lejn il-Malti mill-ġenb, u l-lingwa jxattarha. Iżda l-lingwa tiegħu hija qabelxejn lingwa letterarja, kostruzzjoni tiegħu li għandha l-pedamenti tagħha fl-idjoma attwali imma li jkollha tiffaċċja t-trasformazzjonijiet tal-awtur li kontinwament ifittex il-kelma, il-frażi, ir-ritmu, it-ton, is-sintassi li tesprimi, jew imqar tersaq viċin ħafna li tesprimi dak li jixtieq jesprimi.

Id-dimensjoni l-oħra tal-kitba ta’ Walid Nabhan li tolqot lili hija l-mod kif juża l-metafora, speċjalment fuq medda ta’ paġni, b’mod li jispostja l-idjoma attwali u l-lingwa letterarja stabbilita. Ngħidu aħna, it-tarf tal-miġemgħa nies miġburin madwar il-qabar ta’ Toni fejn hemm Marisa isir it-tarf tad-dinja li bena Toni fi 28 sena. Bejn it-tarf tal-miġemgħa u t-tarf tad-dinja hemm biss virgola. U għalhekk it-trasformazzjoni sseħħ f’tebqa’ t’għajn imma l-effett tagħha jibqa’ qisu seħer fuq l-istorja. Fejn tidħol il-metafora, l-effett li joħloq Walid Nabhan, ġieli permezz tar-ripetizzjoni, huwa iktar qawwi, iktar fit-tul, iktar fundamentali minn dak ta’ bosta strateġiji letterarji oħra.

Meta lesta l-ewwel abbozz ta’ dan il-ktieb, naħseb għall-ħabta ta’ Ottubru tal-2008, it-titlu kien

IL-ĦOFRA

u ġrajjiet oħra li ma ġrawx

“Il-Ħofra” kienet referenza għall-isem tal-ewwel novella, li wara saret “Għadni Ġej minn Hemm,” isem u novella li fil-fatt jirrappreżentaw tajjeb waħda mill-metafori ewlenin tal-ktieb. Toni, Marisa u Emad jiltaqgħu minħabba l-vojt li hemm ġo fihom, jew saħansitra permezz ta’ dak il-vojt. Marisa u Toni trabbew mingħajr familja tradizzjonali f’istitut u Emad kellu jitbiegħed mill-familja tradizzjonali tiegħu minħabba ċ-ċirkostanzi storiċi li sab ruħu fihom. L-ewwel darba li tissemma, il-ħofra hija dik li jniżżlu lil Toni fiha, dik li ma joħroġ minnha ħadd. Imma fis-sentenza ta’ wara n-narratur Emad jestendi mill-ewwel ix-xbieha tal-ħofra għall-qagħda ta’ Toni wara t-tradiment ta’ Marisa, “il-ħofra li għamlitlu f’ħajtu” li “kienet ħafna akbar” u “ħafna aktar mudlama” minn dik li fiha niżżlu lil ġismu; il-ħofra li ħaffritlu Marisa kienet “il-ħin kollu tespandi u titwessa’,” “l-unika ħaġa li aktar ma tieħu minnha aktar tikber.”

Nieħdu l-impressjoni li bħall-ħofra psikoloġika u emozzjonali dejjem tikber ta’ Toni, għal Walid Nabhan, il-memorja u r-rakkont, dawn in-novelli nfushom, huma ħofra li dejjem tespandi, għax “hu u jipprova jifhem xi ġralu, kien qed iwessa’ l-ħofra tiegħu stess mingħajr ma kien konxju x’inhu jagħmel.” F’xena oħra sintomatika tal-proċess ta’ tbattil tal-memorja, Emad jibqa’ ossessjonat bil-mument li fih oħtu Fajruż, fl-ajruport ta’ Amman, tara lilu jinbela’ għal dejjem mit-taraġ mekkanizzat tal-istorja.

L-iktar element li jittikani f’dawn in-novelli  huwa r-rappreżentazzjoni sterjotipika tan-nisa, dawk li għandhom “ċippa għall-biki,” dawk li jew jittradixxu, għax ifittxu l-interessi tagħhom, jew iħobbu bla kundizzjonijiet, għax tal-familja, imma aktarx jidhru psikoloġikament dgħajfa.

Imma jibqa’ l-fatt li Walid Nabhan huwa vuċi awtentika ewlenija fil-letteratura postkolonjali Maltija għax jirrakkonta minn pożizzjoni mhux tas-soltu, minn barra, imma bil-lingwa, bl-idjoma, ta’ ġewwa, bħalma qed jagħmlu bosta kittieba immigranti fl-Italja, bħal Hamid Ziarati ta’ Il meccanico delle rose, imwieled l-Iran, u Tahar Lamri ta’ I sessanta nomi dell'amore, imwieled l-Alġerija. Il-perspettiva ta’ Walid Nabhan hija dik ta’ barrani li mhux barrani, ta’ wieħed ta’ ġewwa li mhuwiex għal kollox ta’ ġewwa; huwa rakkont minn barra u fl-istess ħin minn ġewwa.

Għalija Walid Nabhan, wieħed mill-kittieba ewlenin tal-ġenerazzjoni l-ġdida, huwa ta’ ġewwa.

Kollox Minnu, Kollox Mistħajjel

Riċensjoni ppubblikata fil-gazzetta Illum (fl-14 ta' Frar 2010)

Ġorġ Peresso, It-Tifel tan-Nanna. (Horizons, 2010) 216-il paġna, €20

Ġorġ Peresso jirrakkonta dawn it-tifkiriet ta’ tfulitu bl-entużjażmu ta’ ġuvnott ta’ erbatax imma bil-ħila ta’ kittieb stabbilit ta’ sebgħin. Peresso kapaċi jirrikostruwixxi dak li jiftakar bid-distakk letterarju li jidher fl-ironija, sikwit imqarba u dejjem perċettiva, u l-awto-ironija; is-sentenzi qosra ħafna, ġieli kelma waħda; fl-understatement jew l-użu kontinwu tal-punt tal-esklamazzjoni; fl-identifikazzjoni ta’ konnessjonijiet bejn mumenti u inċidenti differenti tal-istorja.

Minkejja li din hija awtobijografija tat-tfulija, Peresso jagħmel osservazzjonijiet meta-narrattivi li fihom jirrifletti fuq l-att tal-kitba u r-relazzjoni li għandha mar-“realtà,” fil-virgoletti doppji. “Xejn mhu mistħajjel,” jgħidilna. “Kollox hu minnu. Kważi mistħajjel.” U donnha l-iktar kelma qawwija, u forsi vera u qarrieqa, hija dik il-kelma “Kważi,” għax kollox hu minnu f’din l-awtobijografija, f’kull awtobijografija, u kollox hu mistħajjel, fis-sens li kollox hu kif jistħajlu, kif jarah (kont se ngħid kif “jimmaġinah”) min qed jikteb. Ngħidu aħna, meta jkun qed jitkellem dwar nanntu Marì, omm ommu, jgħid li ħabbitu ħafna tul ħajtu kollha, imma “milli jidher wara mewtha wkoll. Għax in-nanna kienet għalija kbira daqs il-qaddisin tas-sema, u ċertament akbar mill-qaddisin tal-art.” Għax iż-żmien li qed jirrakkonta fuqu huwa “Żmien li donnu mitt sena ilu u donnu lbieraħ;” u “Żmien donnu ħrafa u donnu veru.”

L-ironija ta’ Peresso hija fina u kultant toqros, imma qatt mhi qarsa jew kattiva. Hu u jikteb vers bħal dak dwar il-qaddisin tal-art donnu iktar jinstema’ jidħaq milli jsabbat subgħajh fuq it-tastiera tal-kompjuter biex jivvendika ruħu minnhom. Għax wara kollox dan huwa xogħol ta’ kitba li f’bosta waqtiet jinstema’ letterarju, u ħafna mill-gost, li Peresso jittrasmettih bla sforz ta’ xejn, jinsab proprju fir-rakkont.

Ġorġ Peresso jaf li qed jirrakkonta dak li jiftakar, jew forsi dak li jagħżel li jiftakar – li ovvjament mhuwiex dak kollu li ġara – u li jista’ jħares lejn dawn il-waqtiet u l-ġrajjiet u l-emozzjonijiet ta’ tfuliti minn angoli differenti u bi kliem differenti. Jaf ukoll (u dan nissuspetta li jinfluwenza b’mod definittiv lil dawk li jiddeċiedu li jirrakkontaw lilhom infushom fl-ewwel persuna) li l-istorja tagħna mhi xejn għajr l-istorja tagħna, dak li nirrakkontaw, jew dak li jirrakkontaw fuqna. Sakemm ma nirrakkontawx ċerti mumenti u ċerti sentimenti, dawn ma jistgħux isiru parti minn “ħajjitna.” Il-ħajja hija r-rakkont tagħha. Jekk ħadd ma jitkellem fuqha tkun qisha ma seħħietx, ħaġa tal-biża’ fil-fatt, imma ftit jew wisq hekk hu. Dan f’Malta ftit jafuh iktar minn Ġorġ Peresso li għex ħajtu jirrakkonta bil-kelma miktuba u bil-fomm; ftit huma dawk li jagħrfu aktar minn Ġorġ Peresso l-qawwa tal-kelma maħduma li titwassal għand ħaddieħor. F’dan is-sens Peresso huwa, biex nissellef espressjoni minn Malti kbir ieħor, Ġużè Cassar Pullicino, wieħed mill-“bennejja” tal-letteratura Maltija, mhux biss għax kiteb imma għax ta kontribut bla qies biex dik il-letteratura, u l-letteratura b’mod ġenerali, tinqara, tinstema’, tiġi diskussa, tieħu sehem fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum.

Ikolli nammetti li l-użu kontinwu tal-punt ta’ esklamazzjoni narah żejjed f’dan ir-rakkont memorabbli. U r-raġuni mhix biss li punteġġjatura bħal dik trid tużaha bil-qies biex ma titlifx il-qawwa espressiva u emozzjonali tagħha, imma wkoll għax il-lingwa ta' Ġorġ Peresso hija fuq ruħha, ħajja, kważi dejjem bi tbissima fuq fommha, anki meta tirrakkonta inċidenti mhux daqstant sbieħ. Il-punt ta’ esklamazzjoni qiegħed fin-natura stess tal-kitba tiegħu. Peresso kapaċi joħloq ton leġġer mingħajr ma jwaqqa’ għaċ-ċajt it-tbatijiet jew juri diżrispett lejn temi serji. Tidher ħaġa faċli u naturali, imma mhix. Hija xhieda tal-kontroll li għandhom fuq il-lingwa tagħhom l-aħjar kittieba li bħal plejer tal-futbol tajjeb jew attriċi brava jagħmlu kollox jidher

Waħda mill-iktar siltiet divertenti fil-ktieb hija s-silta dwar “Minn fejn jiġu l-babies?” L-awtur jagħti lista twila ta’ postijiet u possibilitajiet, persuni u saħansitra purċissjonijiet – naturalment ebda tweġiba ma toqrob imqar ftit lejn il-likk: It-tfal jikbru fl-għelieqi, iġibhom għasfur kbir, jitfaċċaw ħin bla waqt fil-Purċissjoni tal-Madonna ta’ Fatima, jew joħorġu mill-kaxex ta' fuq il-vapuri, jew saħansitra bil-kupuni. Ġorġ Peresso jammetti li “tassew kont ċe bit-tikka jew inġenwu.”

Peresso jikteb li t-tfulija kienet “żmien l-innoċenza u żmien il-bluha,” u kważi tibda tibża’ li ġej id-diskors tas-soltu, aktarx superfiċjali, dwar l-innoċenza tat-tfal u x’naf jien. Imma fil-lista kważi litanika li tiddomina s-silta “Dak kien żmien!” iqiegħed maġenb xulxin l-ikla tfuħ ta’ nhar ta’ Ħadd, li f’Malta differenti kienet “ħaġa speċjali,” u “Żmien l-iskrupli” bla bżonn li m'għenux il-poplu jikber u jitgħallem.Fl-istess sensiela ta’ ritratti li jimminaw il-ħlewwa apparenti tat-titlu tat-taqsima, jitkellem dwar it-twiebet żgħar bojod li kienu ħaġa ta’ kuljum u l-Limbu, “post mudlam li fi ċkuniti kont nistħajjel trid tinżel għalih minn lembut,” u li sadattant waqaf jeżisti.

Dan il-ktieb jirrakkonta wkoll l-arroganza tal-kolonjaliżmu Ingliż, li għalih il-ħaddiema tal-irmonk kienu għad-dispożizzjoni tiegħu, kif kien jgħid Lorry, missier Ġorġ, “erbgħa u għoxrin siegħa kuljum, sebat ijiem fil-ġimgħa, tliet mija u ħamsa u sittin jum fis-sena,” anki dakinhar tat-tieġ. L-Ingliżi kolonjalisti li jirrakkonta Peresso huma dawk li “basta li tidher li tgħaddi tagħhom,” li l-Maltin huma l-qaddejja u huma s-sidien.

Naħseb li l-ikbar kumpliment li tista’ tagħmel lill-kittieba huwa li tgħidilhom li ħadt gost taqra x-xogħol tagħhom. Li ma stajtx tneħħih minn idejk u spiċċajt ħraqt il-basla, jew il-karozza ħallejtha bla petrol u l-mobile bla charge. Dawn it-tifkiriet ħadt gost naqrahom. U nittama li tteħidt imqar ftit mill-ħeġġa għall-ħajja, mill-emozzjonijiet ġenwini għax imġarrba, mil-lingwa dejjem tleqq u kultant naqra mqarba ta' dan ir-rakkont.

Stqarrija: It-Tlieta, 12 ta’ Jannar, 2010
Awturi dwar il-Libertà tal-Espressjoni

Aħna l-awturi hawn taħt iffirmati, nixtiequ nesprimu d-dispjaċir u n-nuqqas ta’ qbil tagħna mat-trażżin istituzzjonalizzat tal-espressjoni ħielsa f’pajjiżna.

Bħala awturi, ma nistgħux naċċettaw l-implikazzjonijiet ta’ xi setgħa li teħodha fuqha nnifisha li tgħarbel u tiddeċiedi x’jista’ jinqara u x’ma jistax. F’Malta Ewropea tas-seklu wieħed u għoxrin, l-espressjoni għandha tkun ħielsa. Atti ta’ ċensura artistika jitfgħu dubji serji fuq ir-rispett tad-drittijiet u l-libertajiet fundamentali salvagwardjati fil-Kostituzzjoni.

Hawn qegħdin nagħmlu aċċenn għar-rwoli importanti li għandhom il-kittieba f’kull soċjetà. Nisħqu fuq il-ħtieġa li kwistjonijiet urġenti bħal-libertà tal-espressjoni u l-istatus tal-artisti f’pajjiżna jitpoġġew fuq quddiem nett tal-aġenda nazzjonali; li jinbidlu b’mod immedjat l-liġijiet antikwati li jistgħu b’xi mod itellfu din il-libertà; u b’mod immedjat titwaqqaf kull prosekuzzjoni mill-pulizija li għandha x’taqsam ma’ dawn il-liġijiet antikwati.

Aħna ma noġġezzjonawx għal sistema ta’ klassifikazzjoni li xogħolha jkun li tagħti parir lill-poplu dwar livelli ta’ kontenut adult fl-oqsma artistiċi, imma noġġezzjonaw bil-qawwa kollha għal dik iċ-ċensura li tinsulta l-intelliġenza u l-libertà tal-poplu Malti.


Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Authors about Freedom of Expression

We the undersigned authors, would like to express our regrets about and lack of agreement with the institutionalised curbing of free expression in our country.

As authors we cannot accept the implications that some power takes it upon itself to filter and decide on what can or cannot be read. In European Malta of the twenty first century, expression should be free. Acts of censorship cast serious doubts on the respect of the fundamental rights and freedoms safeguarded by the Constitution.

Here we are underlining the important roles played by writers in all societies. We insist on the need that urgent problems like freedom of expression and the status of artists in our country be put at the forefront of the national agenda; that antiquated laws that can in some way hinder this freedom, be emended with immediate effect; and any prosecution by the police related to these antiqueated laws be stopped, also with immediate effect.

We do not object to a classification system intended as a guide for the people about levels of adult content in the different arts, but we object with all possible might to that censorship that insults the intelligence and the freedom of the Maltese people.
 

John Aquilina, Clare Azzopardi, Mario Azzopardi, Simon Bartolo, Norbert Bugeja, Mark Camilleri, Charles Casha, Antoine Cassar, Charles Colerio, Noel Fabri, Lino Farrugia, Charles Flores, Francis Galea, Sergio Grech, Maria Grech Ganado, Adrian Grima, Simone Inguanez, Gorġ Peresso, Ray Mahoney, Ġorġ Mallia, Albert Marshall, Immanuel Mifsud, Kevin Saliba, Andrew Sciberras, Karl Schembri, Loranne Vella, Vince Vella, Alex Vella Gera, Trevor Żahra
 

Istanbul LAF Mediterranean meeting

Dr. Adrian Grima, senior lecturer in Maltese Literature at the University of Malta and coordinator of the voluntary cultural organization Inizjamed he co-founded in 1998, was in Istanbul in January to take part in an international meeting on Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation in the field of Literature organized within the framework of the Literature Across Frontiers programme for the promotion of lesser-known literatures in Europe and the Mediterranean. This project is part-funded by the Culture programme of the European Union.

Dr. Grima spoke about the promotion and translation of Maltese literature abroad and the role played by the annual Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival and the Malta LAF Literary Translation Workshop. He argued that for the new generation of Maltese writers translation of their works in Maltese into other languages is vital for them to be able to engage with audiences and literatures in different parts of the world, especially in the Mediterranean and Europe. These exchanges have the potential to revitalize Maltese literature and its writers.

The other participants at the meeting, which was chaired by Alexandra Buchler, director of Literature Across Frontiers, were Carles Torner, writer and poet, who is head of the Humanities and Science Department of the ; Nilli Cohen, driector of the Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature, Israel; Zerrin Yilmaz, from Delta Publishing (Turkey), Word Express Project, and Turkish Publishers Association; Gökçenur Çelebioğlu, representing Word Express project in Turkey; Hélène Zervas, director of EKEMEL, the European Centre of Translation - Literature and Human Sciences in Athens; Sònia Garcia from the Institut Ramon Llull; and Janis Oga, Director of the Latvian Literature Centre. (Nadim Tarazi from La Maison du Livre in Beirut was not able to attend the meeting, partly because of visa procedures.)