A brief introduction to Maltese children’s

literature and our culture

Brenda Coleiro

Where are we?

• Malta’s location is essential in understanding its history, culture and how we achieved our language (Maltese).

• A small group of southern European islands—so small we’re not always featured in world maps—located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

• This location made Malta a hotspot for a number of colonisers who recognised the strategic importance of the islands as a naval base.

• All of these left their impact on the Maltese islands, as can be noted in our cultural heritage and our language.

• Maltese is an inflected language, with a blend of Semitic and Romantic elements, as well as a number of English words. Foreigners often comment on how it sounds similar to Arabic, but are then surprised by the amount of words they can understand due to their knowledge of English, Italian, French or other romantic languages.

• Maltese, along with English, is the official language of Malta. Due to the close proximity to Italy, and the number of Italian channels on TV (especially before cable TV was introduced), many also speak Italian.

Pre-historia

nsPhoenicians

Carthaginians

Romans

Byzantines

Arabs

Normans

Order of St John

French

British

Independence1964

Children’s Literature in Malta• Due to these different colonies,

children’s literature took longer to start being developed.

• The first literature that children encountered was probably one that wasn’t directed at them, or even written down. Most of them were folk tales, legends, rhymes, and folk music that used to be passed from one community to another by word of mouth. There were a number of people whose job was specifically this – to spread stories round the island. Unfortunately, with no form of writing of them, these stories have been lost.

• Following this, although most of society was still illiterate, a number of periodicals started being sold. These contained translations of Italian or French novels, and many used to congregate in their streets where those who knew how to read would hold storytelling sessions.

Writing for children

• One of the first serious attempts in writing for children was done in 1899, through a series called, ‘Kotba ta’ Mogħdija ta’ Żmien’ (Books for the Passing of Time).

• As part of this series, there were a number of books that were written specifically for a child readership, such as: Il-Ħalliel tal- Ġawhar (The Jewellery Thief) and Fid-Dar u l-Għalqa (In the House and the Field). These were written with the intention of educating children, and to give adults a break, since children now had something to read for themselves.

• There was also a translation of Around The World in Eighty Days, and an abridged version of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

• In the 20th century, the number of children’s books started increasing. Yet, this occurred at a slow pace, and although some of the books can be categorised as children’s books, most authors didn’t intend to write for children.

• The rediffusion also helped in the development of children’s literature. A number of programmes were aimed specifically for children, and a number of translations of English books (such as that of the Famous Five, The Five Find-Outers, and Norman and Henry Bones) started to be read.

• Other than translating a number of the above, Ġużi Mallia also published a number of stories, Il-Ħrejjef taż-Żarmuġa l-Griża (The Tales of the Grey Froglet), that are similar to those of Beatrix Potter.

Comics• In the late 1940s, the

British government in Malta started publishing a bilingual magazine (in Maltese and in English) for primary school children called ‘Children’s Own’. In it, one could find a number of popular comics, such as those of Robinson Crusoe.

• A number of Maltese comics also started being published, with the first one being a translation from Italian: L-Avventuri ta’ Tomasinu .

• Most of the first comics were about topics related to football or war.

• Unlike other countries—such as those in Europe, America and Japan, where the popularity of comics was on its rise—until the 60s there were barely any publications of comics.

• In the 70s a popular magazine called Sagħtar, written for secondary school children, started being published. (The name on its own creates in me a sense of nostalgia; reminding me of quarrels with my sister about which one of us was going to subscribe to it, then eagerly waiting for its monthly distribution, and leafing through it between lessons). In it there was a section dedicated to comics, which helped them flourish.

• Some of the most famous Maltese children’s characters also made it to comics. Amongst them is Xummiemu, a hedgehog who helped create environmental awareness.

• In 2004 this character was relaunched in a revamped design in order to appeal to a younger generation. (This design reminded many of the manga style that was popular at the time).

1970s onwards

• The same movement that started publishing Sagħtar, Malta's Literary Revival Movement, also awakened new consciousness and awareness regarding the importance of writing for children, and distinguished it as a unique genre of literature.

• The last 30 years of the 20th century witnessed the biggest progress in Maltese children’s literature.

• This time also saw the opening of 3 new publishing houses: Il-Klabb Kotba Maltin, Merlin Library and PEG.

• Within 20 years, books for children had increased at a drastic rate. Writers were publishing over 100 books per year.

One of the first books written within Malta’s

Literary Revival Movement was

part of the series of Fra Mudest, written by Charles Casha.

These stories, 96 in all, focused on the mischief caused by

a friar, whose farces and actions are more akin to

that of a child. This popular character

has become part of Maltese literary

folklore.

This character reminds me of another character that is pivotal in Maltese folklore: that of Ġaħan. In Malta, the name has become synonymous with someone who is stupid, a fool, who does nothing but mischief. Yet, most of the mischief caused is not even done with the intention of being disobedient, but more due to his simple-mindedness.

Ġaħan and the Door

One of the most popular stories about Ġaħan:

(extract from Folktales from Australia’s Children of the World, Smith 1979)

The Maltese Ġaħan

• A Maltese dramatist, Francis Ebejer, criticises this mentality, where those we aren’t understood are often called idiots. In one of his plays, that looks at this character in a different light, he highlights this kind of ignorance. An ignorance that might have stemmed from years of colonisation; that affected the Maltese’s self-esteem and mentality, making us believe that everything that is foreign is much better than that which is Maltese.

• If we were to compare the Maltese Ġaħan with that of other countries, contrary to ours, the Arab Guha still does a number of stupid acts, but he is also a character of great wisdom.

Humour and simple-mindedness• This anti-hero creates humour through his

ignorance and absent mindedness; characteristics that seem to be common features in a number of Maltese books.

• Most of them (like Fra Mudest, who is loved both by the readers and by the people in his village) are loveable characters, who are followed by mischief wherever they go.

• Some other comedic characters and humouristic stories:

Twin sisters, highly contrasting

in appearance but similar in

character (both hard-headed and very religious), who constantly argue with each

other.

A story about the

oldest couple in

the village who have

two opposing

personalities, which leads to frequent argument

s, especially

when Rozi’s

sister is around.

More humour and other mischieveous characters:

A loveable master of confusion who often mixes things up, resulting in being ridiculed by one of the other characters. Yet, much to the readers’ satisfaction, he always manages to come on top.

A ten year old boy who is

often in trouble. He

does badly in school, but is

sly and mischievous,

especially where pranks are involved.

A mischievous young girl who often acts before she

thinks. Her behaviour often gets her into all

sorts of trouble, but her wittiness often helps her

to think of indigenous ways to get out of it.These characters have one thing in

common: In contrast to Ġaħan, the mischief caused by these characters is not simply due to their stupidity. The way they manage to get out of

trouble proves their intelligence, and they are loved even more for it.

• These books, along with a number of adventure/mystery stories, were probably some of the most famous books when I was a child.

• Looking at these titles brings a huge sense of nostalgia and bring back numerous memories. However, I can’t help but remember the amount of times I used to wish there were more books in Maltese, and ones that matched the standard of children’s books in other countries.

• Although the ratio of Maltese and British children’s book in libraries and bookshops is still a staggering one, with English taking over more than 1/10th of the shelves, it’s not that surprising considering our history.

Yet, in recent years, children’s literature has continued to grow. Recently published books show a modernisation; in the methods used, style and even design (especially when it comes to picture books) that make them more appealing to the younger generation. It’s pleasing to see that these books are not only making it in the Maltese market, but are also being translated to other languages, such as those of Clare Azzopardi, whose recent works have been translated to English, French, Italian, German, Arabic, and Dutch.

Sources

"Strixxikli - Comics - Malta - L-Istorja Tal-Comics F’ Malta ". Strixxikli.page.tl. Accessed 13 Mar. 2016.

Borg, Kristy. "Is-Sensiela Tal-Aħwa De Molizz: Analiżi Ta’ Kitba Kontemporanja Għat-Tfal B’Fibra Idjosinkratika". University of Malta, 2014.

MacKellar, M. J. R. Folktales From Australia's Children Of The World. Sydney: U. Smith, 1979.

Żahra, Trevor, Briffa, Charles u Mallia, Ġorġ. Il-Kotba għat-Tfal, No. 34, Il-Kullana Kulturali. Malta: Publikazzjonijiet Indipendenza, 2002.