Never has there been so much literary ferment in the Maltese islands since the sixties. The sixties had broken with the themes and influence of the first wave of national, religious and sentimental love, to replace it with a political and existential one which addressed these themes from a confrontational perspective.

There were exceptions in both waves, of course, but the major names which have lived on or been revived are those of Gwann Mamo, Dun Karm Psaila (the national poet), Ruzar Briffa, George Pisani, Anton Buttigieg, Mary Meilak, Marjanu Vella – and for the second wave, Oliver Friggieri, Joe Friggieri, Mario Azzopardi, Daniel Massa, Doreen Micallef, Victor Fenech, Trevor Zahra, Achille Mizzi and, if I were to cover theatre which I am not going to do, Frans Ebejer.

Many of these last named don’t write anymore – or have moved to a different form of artistic expression. However, there is a growing number of young Maltese who have already made a name for themselves, despite the fact that it is extremely difficult for new writers to have prose published, and virtually impossible when they write poetry.

The best known of the new wave is, I believe, Immanuel Mifsud, who at the age of 36 has published 6 books, 4 of prose and 2 of poetry. He has been from an early age also passionately involved in theatre, mainly experimental, and has consistently founded new groups for younger people. However, when it comes to writing, Immanuel is one of the very few contemporary Maltese who do not belong to any literary group, although he does sometimes participate in certain projects.

Literary groups in Malta are odd. There are those which were formed many years ago, and which still cling to a literary canon, specific techniques and a rather patriarchal attitude towards the innovative, and the young groups, in which some of the older writers, like Victor Fenech and Trevor Zahra, still participate. The best known contemporary groups are Inizjamed and Poezija Plus, which fulfil complimentary functions and often interact.

Inizjamed is the more ambitious of the two, since its founder, Adrian Grima, who won 2nd prize with his book ‘It-Trumbettier’ in the Tivoli Competition won by Kevin MacNeil from Scotland, is also a member of other movements, like the Third World Group, and is politically, socially and academically committed at a global level. As a result, the group often works on projects which extend to larger ones of multicultural and multidisciplinary proportions, which are ably organized with the invaluable contribution put in by Karsten Xuereb.

Last year, for example, the participants worked singly or in groups on the theme of Port Cities, taking Birgu (Vittoriosa) as a microcosmic base. After research was conducted and interviews held, an event was organized which brought together the poetry, prose, anthropological papers, theatre, paintings, photography, music – sometimes with power point presentations alongside all of these – which also reaped the benefit of educational experiments in schools and social work. At a later date, six new poems were set to music by an up-and-coming composer and partially sung, partially narrated, always played by young people who had joined this particular project, even though it was only the poets who belonged to the group as such. All the literature was eventually published in a very attractive book called ‘F’Kull Belt Hemm Kantuniera’ (In every City there is a Corner). This year’s project ‘Klandestini’ (Clandestines) brings different Mediterranean countries into co-operation and will climax in a festival and publication in the first weekend of November.

Many of the members of Inizjamed also attend the Poezija Plus meetings once a month. Themes are chosen, and during the meetings, poems on this theme are read – poems PLUS that is, because sometimes we have prose, and there is always music, particularly social songs in Maltese. Nevertheless, readings are not always in Maltese. Sometimes, British Council guests give readings, or embassies (eg the Russian last month) participate with readings from their own country. In short, I think both groups are doing great work. There is also a group which meets regularly in our sister-island, Gozo – and perhaps we should get together more often.

As for published work and/or translations – Immanuel has been or is being translated into English, French, Italian, Spanish, Slovak, Slovenian and other East European countries. It is ironic that Maurice Riordan (shortlisted for the Whitbread prize) is translating poems which are to be published in Cork, although Immanuel cannot afford to publish the originals in Malta. Immanuel has also contributed to Le Monde’s Curriere Internationelle and been interviewed by L’Express and RAI Uno.

Adrian Grima too has been translated into other languages, including Dutch and German. He also writes scholarly papers and is involved in so many things that I can’t possibly remember them all. Though I myself am now already 61, my first collection of Maltese poems appeared in 1999, and was followed by another Maltese collection and an English one shortly after. My work too has been very encouragingly received.

Immanuel, Adrian and I are lucky to have attended a number of conferences, symposia and readings abroad, which is not only stimulating, but is generating a great deal of interest in Maltese literature. We hope this interest will be passed on to other emergent or newly established writers. Henry Holland, for example, has published a slim volume of poetry, but is now writing powerful prose. Stanley Borg too is flirting with prose, although up to now he is better known as a poet. The same is true of Norbert Bugeja, who writes beautiful poetry, but has just written an original bit of prose where language itself is a participant. Clare Azzopardi published some poetry in a joint publication with David Agius Muscat, Karl Fenech and Stephen Gatt but is totally committed to prose now, and is waiting to have at least 10 stories which satisfy her own high standards before publishing. I don’t know why Simone Inguanez hasn’t published her poetry yet. Her reputation is already secure with what has been published in the Inizjamed booklets, and in the Poezija Plus readings. The same can be said of Bernard Cauchi’s writing.

There is also Guze Stagno, another literary loner, who caused a literary riot with his first pop novel Inbid ta’ Kuljum (Daily Wine) and has already published his second novel. A small publishing house, Minima, has had the guts to bring out some of Immanuel’s, Guze’s and Karl Schembri’s unorthodox prose. Anna Pullicino, Imelda Serracino Inglott, Josette Baldacchino, Marlene Saliba – all women – have also published, continuing the tradition set by Doreen Micallef, Lilian Sciberras, Rena Balzan, etc in the past. Then there are the Poezija Plus founders, Sergio Grech and John Buttigieg. There are Glenn Calleja.and Stephen Cachia.

There are also those who write well, but not often and/or consistently. Claudia Fiorini has real talent but is lazy, Priscilla Cassar needs to dig further into herself, Karen Vella writes extremely well but seems to have no energy left to get her writing together after her day as a social worker. And Sina Micallef, though she is better known as a ceramist, writes very sensitive poetry. The sea is a favourite theme or image, as is much of the Maltese Mediterranean landscape. Prose is on the whole quite bleak, reflecting the almost impersonal violence of our times and almost exclusively concerned with the social scene.

I am quite sure that I’ve forgotten to mention some writers – but I hope that if they read this, they won’t be offended. Malta is awhirl with creativity. It has been for some years, but with the entry of Malta into the European Union, the ferment is turning the whirlwind into a hurricane. There are funds for culture. There are people out there who want to know about Maltese writing. The hopes for publication, translation, exposure, diffusion are bound to flare up.

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© 2004 Laura Hird All rights reserved.