About Maltese literature in English and Italian

About Maltese literature in English and Italian

Here in Malta the national language is Maltese, but Maltese and English are both considered as official languages. Many Maltese also understand and speak Italian since islanders are familiar with Italian tv stations and programmes.

Thus Maltese literature is not only composed of works written in Maltese. One can read novels, drama and poetry even in English and Italian, some of them original works, others translated from Maltese.

Since the entrance of Malta in the European Union (May 2004), many are doing their best to export Malta (its culture, art, history, etc.) and Maltese literature especially through English. One thus finds a number of poetry anthologies divided in two: an original part written in Maltese, and another part where one can read the translated English version). The following is a partial list of literature in both English and Italian written by Maltese poets, novelists and playwrites:

Poetry in English:

Wishful Thoughts – Poems and a booklet of sentences (1975) by Amante Buontempo;
Limestone 84 Poems from Malta (1978) edited by Daniel Massa;
A Poetic Galaxy (1983) edited by Poets’ Association Malta;
Zoomery (1998) by Maurice Mifsud Bonnici;
Time-faring- Poems (1994, 2001) by Marlene Saliba;
Ribcage (2003); Cracked Canvas (2005); Memory Rape (2005) by Maria Grech Ganado;
Stay, Fairy Tale, Stay! memoirs of a city cast adrift (2005) by Norbert Bugeja;
water, fire, earth and i (2005) by Simone Inguanez;
The tragedy of the elephant (2005) by Adrian Grima;
Waiting for green - Traffic light thoughts (2005) by Stanley Borg;
others, across (2005) by Clare Azzopardi.


Poetry in both Maltese and English:

It-Trumbettier (1999) by Adrian Grima;
Bejn zewg dinjiet – In between (2003) by John P. Portelli;
km (2005) by Immanuel Mifsud.

Poetry in Maltese, English, Italian and French:

Arkadja (2004) edited by Maltese Poets Association

Poetry in Italian and English:

Si vis pacem cane semper (1973) by Amante Buontempo

Poetry in Maltese, English and Italian:

Quid retribuam? (2001) by Amante Buontempo;
Muzajk (2003) by Josette Baldacchino; Anna Pullicino and Imelda Serracino Inglott

Poetry in Italian:

Lacrime di speranza (1977); Palpiti di gioia (1982) by Amante Buontempo;
Rivachiara – Poesie (1985) co-authored;
I colori del mio silenzio (2001) by Gorg Peresso.

Poetry in Italian and Maltese:

Msiebah Mediterranji – Lucerne Mediterranee (1995) edited by Associazione dei Poeti Maltesi.

Literary Criticism about Maltese literature in English and Italian:

Movimenti Letterari e coscienza romantica maltese (1800-1921)(1979) by Oliver Friggieri;
L’esperienza leopardiana di un poeta maltese: Karmenu Vassallo (1983) by Oliver Friggieri;
The literature of Malta – An example of Unity in Diversity (2000) by Arnold Cassola.

Maltese prose and drama in English:

The following are some of the works of one of the most famous Maltese writers worldwide, Francis Ebejer (1925-1993):

Collected English Plays – Vols. 1, 2, 3 (1980);
Requiem for a Malta fascist (or The Interrogation) (1980);
A wreath of Maltese innocents (1981);
For Rozina.. a Husband & other Malta stories (1990);
The Maltese Baron... and I Lucian (2002).

Shadows of the truth (2003) by Guzè Ellul Mercer (a translation from the Maltese original Leli ta’ Haz-Zghir (1949) by Godwin Ellul);
Birds of Passage (2005) and In Search of Carmen Caruana (2007) by Lou Drofenik (Maltese writer who lives in Australia).

Other books of interest about Malta in English:

Malta’s Heritage- Selections from the writings of (1969) by E.R. Leopardi;
Papers in Maltese Linguistics (1981) by Guzè Aquilina;
A comparative dictionary of Maltese Proverbs (1986) by Guzè Aquilina;
Selmun – A story of love (1996) by Paul P. Borg;
Folklore of an island – Maltese threshold customs (1998) by Tarcisio Zarb;
Exploring the chapels of Gozo (1999) by Paul Grech;
A hundred wayside chapels of Malta & Gozo (2000) by Kilin;
Malta Prehistory and Temples (2002) by David H. Trump;
Confessions of a European Maltese (2003) by Alfred Sant.