Il-Festival Mediterranju tal-Letteratura ta' Malta / Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival
Programme 2018

Programme 2018

All pre-Festival and Festival events: July – August 2018

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The 2018 edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival and the translation workshop are being held in partnership with Arts Council Malta and Literature Across Frontiers, and with the support of Valletta 2018 Foundation, The Manoel Island Foundation, Għaqda tal-Malti – Università, the volunteers of Tal-Kultura, and Studio Solipsis. The MMLF is the recipient of the EFFE, Europe for Festivals, Festivals for Europe label.

The Literary Europe Live Plus project, a collaboration with Literature Across Frontiers, contributes to the programme of the 2018 festival edition with support from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Wednesday, 25 July 2018, 7.00pm, Studio Solipsis | India and the Next Chapter in Publishing | With special guest, Neeta Gupta, Yatra Books and Festival co-Director Jaipur BookMark

Thursday, 26 July, 5.00pm, Residenza San Vinċenz de Paul | Qari minn Philip Sciberras 

Thursday, 26 July, 8.00pm, Maori Bar, Marsamxett, il-Belt Valletta 26 ta’ Lulju | Open Mic/Palk Ħieles: Guest writer: Maria Grech Ganado

Friday, 10 August, 10.00am, iċ-Ċentru Parrokkjali tas-Swatar | Inħawdu Storja: Workshop ta’ Kitba Kreattiva għat-Tfal

Friday, 17 August, 10.00am, Gozo | Building a Story: Case Studies by Teodor Reljić

Sunday, 19 August, 8.00pm | Round table discussion: Losing my Space: The Nature of Literature

Monday 20 August, 8.00pm, Meet and Greet, for invited writers and volunteers, Studio Solipsis, Rabat

Tuesday, 21 August 2018, 8.00pm, Dar l-Ewropa, Triq San Pawl, il-Belt Valletta | Round table discussion: Writing fragile: Literature and Mental Health

Wednesday, 22 August 2018, 6.00pm, il-Forti ManoelDawra mal-Forti Manoel ma’ Edward Said

Wednesday, 22 August 2018, 8.00pm | Palk Ħieles / Open Mic, Sistina Wine & Co,, 188, The Strand, Gżira.

Thursday 23 August, 7.00pm | Il-Qarrejja waslu Qabel (l-Awturi), Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira

Thursday 23 August, 8.00pm | Festival First Night, Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira. Featuring Caldon Mercieca (Malta), Juana Adcock (Mexico/UK), Film tal-poeżija / Poetry Film: “Kafè” (Malta), Arjan Hut (Ljouwert, Netherlands), Sjón 

Friday 24 August, 9.30am, Studio Solipsis | Business Breakfast for Publishers of Maltese literature with international stakeholders

Friday 24 August, 7.00pm | Exporting Literature, Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira

Friday 24 August, 8.00pm | Festival Second Night, Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira. Includes Oħloq Kultura activity for children. Featuring Massimo Barilla (Italy),  Teodor Reljić (Malta), Film tal-poeżija / Poetry Film: “Il-Lejl f’dan l-Istazzjon” (Malta), Laia López Manrique (Spain), Clare Azzopardi (Malta)

Saturday 25 August, 7.00pm | Migration and Exile: Literary Europe Live Plus, Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira

Saturday 25 August, 8.00pm | Festival Third Night, Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira. Featuring Jean-Rémy Gandon (France), Philip Sciberras (Malta), Film tal-poeżija barrani / Foreign Poetry Film, Ali Thareb (Bābil, Iraq), Aslı Erdoğan (Turkey)


Ritratt - Virginia Monteforte 1

Ritratt meħud minn Virginia Monteforte (FMLM 2017)

Il-Ħamis 23 ta’ Awwissu / Thursday August 23

Caldon Mercieca (Malta) – poeżija

Juana Adcock (Mexico/UK) – poeżija

Pawża / Break

Film tal-poeżija / Poetry Film: “Kafè,” Kenneth Scicluna u Clare Azzopardi, b’introduzzjoni ta’ Noel Tanti. Ikkummissjonat minn Inizjamed u l-Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018

Arjan Hut (Ljouwert, Netherlands) – poeżija u proża

Sjón (Iceland) – poeżija u proża. Intervista minn / Interviewed by Albert Gatt

Mużiċist mistieden: Robert Farrugia; mużiċisti residenti: Effie Azzopardi, Kenneth Sacco, Rafel Grima


Il-Ġimgħa 24 ta’ Awwissu / Friday August 24

Massimo Barilla (Italy) – poeżija u proża

Teodor Reljić (Malta) – proża

Pawża

Film tal-poeżija / Poetry Film: “Il-Lejl f’dan l-Istazzjon,” Carlos Debattista u Abigail Mallia, with an introduction by Rebecca Anastasi

Laia López Manrique (Spain) – poeżija

Clare Azzopardi (Malta) – proża, intervistata minn Claudia Gauci

Mużiċist mistieden: Robert Farrugia; mużiċisti residenti: Effie Azzopardi, Kenneth Sacco, Rafel Grima


Is-Sibt 25 ta’ Awwissu / Saturday August 25

Jean-Rémy Gandon (France) – poeżija

Philip Sciberras (Malta) – poeżija, b’introduzzjoni mill-Prof. Bernard Micallef

Pawża

Film tal-poeżija / Poetry Film, “Hail the Bodhisattva of Collected Junk,” dir. Ye Mimi, Taiwan, introduced by Noel Tanti

Ali Thareb (Bābil, Iraq) – poeżija

Aslı Erdoğan (Turkey) – proża, interviewed by Nadia Mifsud

Għeluq bil-kbir / Grande finale

Mużiċist mistieden: Robert Farrugia; mużiċisti residenti: Effie Azzopardi, Kenneth Sacco, Rafel Grima


losing-my-space

Sunday, 19 August 2018, 8.00pm, Palazzo de la Salle (MSA), Republic Street, Valletta

a round table discussion

Losing my Space | The Nature of Literature

With: Arjan Hut, Teodor Reljić, Roger West

Moderator: Immanuel Mifsud

The Moon, how definite its orb! …

Distinct by one dim shade and yet undivided from the universal cloud

In which it towers, finite in height.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Nature has always been the focus of literature, a source of renewal, spiritual, pure. The relation of authors with nature has changed because our landscapes and seascapes have changed, but nature remains a source of inspiration and concern, a concern transfixed by agony. How does the lack of natural environment and open spaces translate to literature? How do we write trees and fields when trees and fields are no longer? How do we write the colour of the changing sea? Our space and light are being stolen by buildings that reach for the sky. How does literature deal with this daylight robbery? How does it document our struggle for space?

roger west
Roger West

More about Losing my Space | The Nature of Literature

Il-mod kif nipperċepixxu ż-żmien u l-ispazju aħna u nikbru jinbidel hekk kif id-dinja ta’ barra tinfiltra fil-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum. Dan ma jseħħx biss minħabba r-ritmi naturali tal-ħajja; il-bini li jinbet u jindaħal f’ħajjitna u jnaqqrilna mill-ispazji pubbliċi tagħna huwa kollu kemm hu xogħol il-bniedem, u jġegħelna nħarsu lejn l-urbanità b’kejl ġdid. Fid-diskussjoni ta’ dil-lejla se nħarsu lejn id-duwalità (jekk hemm) bejn il-klastrofobija ta’ Malta u l-ftuħ tal-Iżlanda, u t-tiftixa kontinwa tagħna għal spazji alternattivi. Dan kollu kif inhu tradott fil-letteraturi tagħna? Fil-letteraturi tagħna x’fissazzjonijiet għandna, xi spazji jokkupaw, u b’liema modi? Hemm verità fl-isterjotipi msemmija hawn fuq? U l-letteratura kif tiġbor fiha u sostni t-tali sterjotipi? Teodor Reljić, Sjón, u Juana Adcock huma tlieta mill-awturi mistiedna li se jindirizzaw dawn it-temi.

As we grow older, our perception of pace and personal space change as the outside world makes it into our everyday life. However, this is not always due to the natural rhythm of life; the encroachment of built up areas and the decline of public spaces is very much due to human activity, and forces upon us a new way of scaling the city and its hinterland. In this evening’s discussion, we are interested in the duality (if any) between claustrophobic Malta and the vastness of Iceland, and our constant search for alternative spaces. How is this translated into our literature(s)? What fixations regarding space occupy our literature(s), and in what ways? Is there any truth to the stereotypes mentioned above, and how far do(es) our literature(s) embody and sustain such stereotypes? Teodor Reljić, Sjón, and Juana Adcock will be amongst the authors discussing these themes.

Alda Merini

SPAZIO

Spazio spazio, io voglio, tanto spazio

per dolcissima muovermi ferita:

voglio spazio per cantare crescere

errare e saltare il fosso

della divina sapienza.

Spazio datemi spazio

ch’io lanci un urlo inumano,

quell’urlo di silenzio negli anni

che ho toccato con mano.

(Vuoto d’amore, Giulio Einaudi Editore, Torino, 1991)

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Monday 20 August, 8.00pm, Studio Solipsis, Rabat

Meet and Greet

A social event at Studio Solipsis in Rabat, the studio Inizjamed currently operates from. to welcome all invited writers, other guests and partners, and voluneers, with a short reading by Caldon Mercieca. This will follow oour tour of Mdina led by Neville Ebejer. 

We will be serving Maltese food and wine. On the night, poet Caldon Mercieca will also present some of his work. This is a great opportunity for the authors, guests, partners and volunteers to get to know each other better in an informal setting. 


writing-fragile-1

Tuesday, 21 August 2018, 8.00pm, Dar l-Ewropa, St Paul’s Street, Valletta

a round table discussion

Writing fragile | Literature and Mental Health

With: Juana Adcock, Clare Azzopardi, Massimo Barilla, Jean-Rémy Gandon, Laia López Manrique

Moderator: Glen Calleja

Can literature alleviate, explain and deploy the pain of living? To tell of an illness, and to hear it being told, has always served as an effective instrument of reshaping all the fragments which make it up, and which compose and structure our composite relationship with the world. A shattered world, and one that we now find ourselves strenuously trying to reassemble, word by word.

juana adcock
Juana Adcock (Mexico/UK)

Scrivere fragile | Letteratura e salute mentale

Può la letteratura spiegare, dispiegare e alleviare il male di vivere? Narrare la malattia o trovarla narrata, è in effetti, da sempre, un efficace strumento di rimodellamento dei frammenti che la compongono e che strutturano il nostro composito rapporto con il mondo. Un mondo andato in frantumi e che strenuamente si cerca di ricomporre, parola dopo parola.


Thursday 23 August, 7.00pm | Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira

Il-Festival tal-Qarrejja

Bi sħab mad-Diploma fil-Letteratura Maltija, L-Università ta’ Malta

Il-ktieb isir esperjenza letterarja malli jibda jinqara. L-awtur huwa l-persuna li tipproduċi l-ktieb, u l-ktieb jerfa’ fih il-potenzjal letterarju tal-awtur. Iżda mbagħad hemm il-qarrejja, dawk li jġibu l-potenzjal tal-awtur u tal-ktieb fis-seħħ permezz tal-qari. F’festival letterarju jista’ qatt jitwarrab dan is-sehem kruċjali tal-qarrejja? Nistgħu qatt ninjoraw il-modi kif il-qarrejja jinteraġixxu mat-test letterarju biex jibdluh f’xogħol letterarju, jiġifieri f’dinja attivata permezz tal-istħajjil u tar-repertorju kulturali tagħhom? Kitba fuq paġna tiġi animata – tieħu l-ħajja – permezz tal-esperjenza tal-qari, u dan maż-żmien jissarraf f’ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ qarrejja li jikkontribwixxu ġmielhom biex jiġu stabbiliti l-ġeneri, il-valutazzjonijiet, u l-istituzzjonijiet letterarji tal-pajjiż. Għalhekk, nistednukom tingħaqdu magħna f’Festival li se jkun tal-qarrejja daqskemm tal-awturi. Flimkien mal-istudenti li segwew il-kors tad-Diploma fil-Letteratura Maltija fi ħdan id-Dipartiment tal-Malti, l-Università, ejjew isimgħu modi varji kif ix-xogħlijiet tal-awturi tal-Festival jistgħu jinqraw. U kunu intom stess, bħala qarrejja mistednin, li tesprimu l-modi tagħkom kif tanimaw ix-xogħlijiet tal-awturi tal-Festival. Is-sessjoni speċjali għall-qarrejja se ssir nhar il-Ħamis, 23 ta’ Awwissu, fis-7pm, ġewwa Forti Manoel, Manoel Island, waqt il-Festival Mediterranju tal-Letteratura ta’ Malta 2018.



INDIA

Wednesday, 25 July 2018, a special event for publishers and cultural operators

India and the Next Chapter in Publishing

With: Neeta Gupta, Yatra Books and Festival co-Director Jaipur BookMark

yatra logoNeeta Gupta is the publisher at Yatra Books and a literary consultant with a special emphasis on translations. She is also the editor of Bharatiya Anuvad Parishad’s quarterly journal on translation, Anuvad. Yatra Books and Bharatiya Anuvad Parishad share strategic strengths and draw synergy and creativity from their complementary activities. She has been working towards creating publishing connectivities across different languages and cultures, a mission she also carries forward as the Festival co-Director of Jaipur BookMark.

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Neeta Gupta

Yatra Books have a published over 400 titles in English, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu, as well as key collaborations with international institutions like Sciences PO in Paris, for the translation of Christophe Jaffrelot’s India Since 1950; Ramon Llull Institute, Barcelona, and TEDA (Turkish Culture Ministry) for a series of Catalan and Turkish translations into Hindi. Some of these titles have been co-published in collaboration with Penguin India, Dorling Kindersley, Cambridge University Press India Ltd. and Westland-Amazon. Being linked to a bigger publishing house has given Yatra the advantages of working on a larger scale; while retaining an autonomous identity, has allowed for an independent voice.


Thursday, 26 July 2018, 5.00pm, Residenza San Vinċenz de Paul | Qari minn Philip Sciberras 

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Koordinazzjoni ta’ Priscilla Cassar bl-għajnuna ta’ Leanne Ellul.

Fl-okkażjoni tat-tlettax-il edizzjoni tal-Festival Mediterranju tal-Letteratura ta’ Malta, Inizjamed bil-koperazzjoni tal-Active Ageing Unit fir-Residenza San Vinċenz de Paul, ħa torganizza qari bis-sehem tal-awtur Philip Sciberras fir-Residenza stess. L-attività, li hi parti mill-attivitajiet ta’ qabel il-Festival, ser issir nhar il-Ħamis 26 ta’ Lulju 2017 fil-5.00pm biswit it-Teatru ta’ San Vinċenz u ser tinkludi intervall qasir mużikali mill-vjolinista Doriana Vella. Wara jkun hemm ftit xorb u gallettini. Kulħadd huwa mistieden.

On the occasion of the XIIIth edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival, Inizjamed, in collaboration with the Active Ageing Unit at St. Vincent de Paul Residence, is organizing a reading with the writer Philip Sciberras at the Residence. The activity, which is part of the pre-Festival events, will be held on Thursday 26th July at 5pm next to the Theatre at St. Vincent De Paul. It will also include a short musical interval by Doriana Vella on violin followed by some refreshments at the end. Everyone is invited to attend.

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Philip Sciberras waqt il-qari fir-Residenza San Vinċenz de Paul. Tidher ukoll Priscilla Cassar

Philip Sciberras twieled Ħaż-Żebbuġ nhar is-7 ta’ Ottubru, 1945. Iggradwa bħala Avukat fl-1973. Kien membru Parlamentari mal-Partit Laburista bejn l-1979 u l-1987. Fl-2002 ġie elevat fuq il-bank tal-Ġudikatura fejn serva għal 8 snin fil-Qorti Suprema. Wara reġa’ lura għall-karriera ta’ avukat prattikanti, u kien wieħed mill-membri ewlenin fil-Kummissjoni għar-Riforma tal-Ġustizzja. Fl-2013 inħatar Chairman tal-Awtorità għall-Protezzjoni tal-Embrijuni u tal-Bord Konsultattiv f’San Vinċenz. F’dik l-istess sena ġie nnominat Ambaxxatur mhux residenti għal-Libanu.

Lejn l-aħħar tas-sittinijiet, l-Imħallef Emeritu Philip Sciberras kien wieħed mill-membri fundaturi tal-Moviment Qawmien Letterarju għall-promozzjoni tal-letteratura u l-kultura Maltija fost il-poplu. Ippubblika tliet kotba tal-poeżiji: Priżmi (1968) flimkien mal-Arċipriet Dun Lawrenz Cachia, Mandala (1984), u Mirja (2014). Ħa sehem flimkien ma’ poeti oħra fil-pubblikazzjoni tal-ktieb Dwal fil-Persjani (1972).


palk ħieles 26.7.18

Thursday, 26 July, 8.00pm, Maori Bar, Marsamxett, il-Belt Valletta 26 ta’ Lulju | Open Mic/Palk Ħieles

Guest writer: Maria Grech Ganado

Inizjamed, flimkien mal-Moviment Graffitti, se torganizza Palk Ħieles ieħor nhar il-Ħamis, 26 ta’ Lulju fit-8:00 fil-bar Maori ta’ Marsamxett, il-Belt Valletta. Għal dan is-sitta u għoxrin Palk Ħieles se jkollna tema speċjali, “In-nisa: vuċi għolja, vuċi qawwija”. Ma jistax jonqos, għalhekk, li l-mistiedna speċjali tkun il-poetessa Maria Grech Ganado, li kienet l-ewwel mara Maltija li bdiet tgħallem full-time  fl-Università ta’ Malta.
Maria Grech Ganado twieldet Ħal Lija fl-1943 u għandha tlett itfal. Tikteb kemm bil-Malti u kemm bl-Ingliż, u rebħet il-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb diversi drabi. Għadha kif ippubblikat ġabra ta’ poeżiji bl-isem ta’ Framed permezz (Merlin, 2018).

Kulħadd huwa  mistieden sabiex jaqra xi poeżija, storja, jagħmel xi stand-up, jgħid xi ċajta, ikanta kanzunetta oriġinali jew jesprimi dak li jħoss fuq it-tema. Jekk forsi ma tafux minn fejn tibdew, għandkom tema ideali biex tixprunakom. Kull lingwa, kull djalett, kull aċċent huwa merħba bih.

On Thursday, 26th July, Inizjamed, together with Moviment Graffitti, will be organising its 26th Open Mic session at 8.00pm at Maori, on the Marsamxett waterfront in Valletta. The theme for this Open Mic sesssion is “Women: say it loud, say it proud”. Our special guest is Maria Grech Ganado, the first woman to be appointed as a full-time lecturer at the University of Malta. Maria Grech Ganado was born in Ħal Lija in 1943 and is a mother of three. She has published poetry in both Maltese and English. She has won the National Book Prize several times. Her most recent publication is a collection of poems called Framed (Merlin, 2018).

The stage is open for everyone. You can read a poem, a short story, perform a stand-up, tell a joke, sing an original song… the list is endless. If you’re unsure of what to write about, the theme can be the perfect springboard. Every language, every dialect, every accent is more than welcome.


palk ħieles awwissu 2018 fmlm.jpg

Nhar l-Erbgħa, 22 t’Awwissu, se jaħbat lejlet il-Festival Mediterranju tal-Letteratura ta’ Malta. Għalhekk, kif saret id-drawwa f’dawn l-aħħar snin, Inizjamed se ttella’ Palk Ħieles ieħor, is-sitta u għoxrin wieħed fis-sensiela. Se nkunu fis-Sistina & Co il-Gżira, qrib ix-xatt li jilqa’ parti mill-baħar Mediterran u mixja ħelwa lil hinn mill-post fejn se jsir il-Festival innifsu, f’Manoel Island. Il-Palk Ħieles huwa bħal Manoel Island illum, aċċessibbli għal kulħadd. Tista’ taqra xi poeżija, storja, tkanta xi ħaġa oriġinali jew tesprimi ruħek kwalunkwe mod ieħor. Mhux biss naċċettaw imma niċċelebraw kull lingwa, kull traduzzjoni, kull aċċent, u kull djalett.

Magħna jkollna xi awturi li se jieħdu sehem fil-Festival.

Bħal dejjem id-dħul u l-parteċipazzjoni huma bla ħlas. Għal iktar informazzjoni iktbu lil inizjamedprojects@gmail.com.

Wednesday 22nd August is the eve of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival. Therefore, as has been the tradition in the past few years, Inizjamed will be hosting its monthly Open Mic. Month after month, they have been adding up, and this will be the twenty-sixth. We will be hosted at Sistina Wine & Co, in Gżira, by the shoreline receiving the Mediterranean sea and just a short joyful walk away from Manoel Island, where the Festival itself will be taking place.

Our Open Mic is like Manoel Island nowadays, accessible to everyone. You can read a poem, a story, sing something original or perform through any other medium. We not only welcome but celebrate every language, translation, accent, and dialect.

We will have with us some of the authors taking part in the Festival.

As always, entrance and participation are free. For more information, contact us at inizjamedprojects@gmail.com


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Teodor Reljić, photo by Virginia Monteforte

Building a Story: Case Studies by Teodor Reljic

10.00am – 11.00am, Gozo

Delivered by Teodor Reljic, the presentation will use the speaker’s recent work — both already-published and currently in progress — to explore how stories in different media can be constructed. Taking this proposition somewhat literally, Reljic will speak about how locating the right tools and devices for a given story helps to make the narrative more robust and coherent, and keeps writer’s block and other crises at bay.
Starting off with an overview of his published novel Two (2014, Merlin Publishers), Reljic will speak about the challenges involved in crafting a parallel narrative that is required to come to a coherent conclusion at the end, all the while switching from a realist narrative to a fairy-tale one, modulating between the first-person point of view narrative voice of a nine-year-old boy and that of a fantasy narrative recounted by the boy’s young mother, channeling a fable-like tone.
Building on a discussion of how the deployment of various established storytelling tropes, and the organising principle of a specific, restricted narrative voice, helped to give Reljic a stylistic ballast as he was writing what was otherwise a very personal and emotive story, Reljic will then move on to discuss an upcoming film adaptation of the short story ‘Camilla’ by Clare Azzopardi.
Having co-written the script with the film’s director Stephanie Sant, Reljic will talk about the process of adaptation from the point of view of using the source material to, once again, provide narrative focus and lend the screenplay a central direction – a ‘true north’, of sorts. This is particularly pertinent given how the film — which won the National Book Council’s Literary Short Film Fund and is currently in production — departs significantly from Azzopardi’s story in terms of its overall structure, and draws on other (though still related) material to help create a version of the story that makes for a better fit on screen.
Finally, Reljic will also be speaking about his upcoming comic book project MIBDUL (2018, Merlin Publishers) for which he wrote the script, and which is illustrated by Inez Kristina. Being a ‘science-fantasy’ coming-of-age story which also serves as a brash, direct allegory for how neoliberal politics and overdevelopment are destroying the natural landscape of the Maltese islands, Reljic will speak about how these particular elements also served as tools to help him, essentially, build a fictional solar system from scratch, while also ensuring that the central, emotionally gripping coming-of-age story experienced by its protagonist remains the key through-line for the story, in favour of the cosmetics of exotic world building.


qarrejja-qabel

Il-Qarrejja waslu Qabel (l-Awturi), Il-Ħamis 23 ta’ Awwissu, 7.00pm, Il-Forti Manoel,

bi sħab mad-Diploma fil-Letteratura Maltija tad-Dipartiment tal-Malti tal-Università ta’ Malta

Koordinazzjoni: Noel Tanti

Il-ktieb isir esperjenza letterarja malli jibda jinqara. L-awtur huwa l-persuna li tipproduċi l-ktieb, u l-ktieb jerfa’ fih il-potenzjal letterarju tal-awtur. Iżda mbagħad hemm ilqarrejja, dawk li jġibu l-potenzjal tal-awtur u tal-ktieb fis-seħħ permezz tal-qari. F’festival letterarju jista’ qatt jitwarrab dan is-sehem kruċjali talqarrejja? Nistgħu qatt ninjoraw il-modi kif ilqarrejja jinteraġixxu mat-test letterarju biex jibdluh f’xogħol letterarju, jiġifieri f’dinja attivata permezz tal-istħajjil u tar-repertorju kulturali tagħhom? Kitba fuq paġna tiġi animata – tieħu l-ħajja – permezz tal-esperjenza tal-qari, u dan maż-żmien jissarraf f’ġenerazzjonijiet ta’ qarrejja li jikkontribwixxu ġmielhom biex jiġu stabbiliti l-ġeneri, il-valutazzjonijiet, u l-istituzzjonijiet letterarji tal-pajjiż. Għalhekk, nistednukom tingħaqdu magħna f’Festival li se jkun talqarrejja daqskemm tal-awturi. Flimkien mal-istudenti li segwew il-kors tad-Diploma fil-Letteratura Maltija fi ħdan id-Dipartiment tal-Malti, l-Università, ejjew isimgħu modi varji kif ix-xogħlijiet tal-awturi talFestival jistgħu jinqraw. U kunu intom stess, bħala qarrejja mistednin, li tesprimu l-modi tagħkom kif tanimaw ix-xogħlijiet tal-awturi talFestival. Is-sessjoni speċjali għall-qarrejja se ssir nhar il-Ħamis, 23 ta’ Awwissu, fis-7pm, fil-Forti Manoel, Manoel Island, waqt ilFestival Mediterranju tal-Letteratura ta’ Malta 2018.


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Friday 24 August, 7.00pm | Exporting Literature. Meeting an international publisher, festival organiser, literary agent, and HELA, Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira

With Pierre Astier, Glen Calleja, Anne-Lise Dyck-Daure and Mohamed El-Baaly

On Friday 24th August at 7.00pm at Fort Manoel, the Festival venue, we are hosting a presentation by an international publisher, a festival organiser, and a literary agent for the general public, but also for authors, illustrators, festival organisers, and publishers. This event is open to all. Each speaker has 15 minutes to present their work and share any ideas that could work for Malta.

Glen Calleja will very briefly present HELA, a new initiative that Inizjamed is part of, a Hub for Excellency in Literary Arts that is engaged in initiative to ensure international recognition of and access to Maltese literature. This requires a concerted effort between local players and institutions and close collaborations with key foreign entities. The idea of HELA is to take Maltese literature to readers around the globe.

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Anne-Lise Dyck-Daure

Wara l-istudji tagħha fil-lingwa u l-filosofija, Anne-Lise Dyck-Daure ħadmet fil-qasam tal-iskambju tad-drittijiet tat-traduzzjoni fl-uffiċċju letterarju tad-dar tal-pubblikazzjoni ta’ Seuil f’Pariġi u fl-aġenzija internazzjonali Andrew Nurnberg f’Londra. Illum tieħu ħsieb il-programm u l-amministrazzjoni tal-festival LEC għal-Letteraturi Ewropej ta’ Cognac (din is-sena hi l-31 edizzjoni), li jilqa’ fih kittieba minn madwar l-Ewropa. Hi torganizza wkoll ir-residenza tal-kitba Jean Monnet li sservi bħala spazju kreattiv għall-kittieba żgħażagħ Ewropej.

After her studies in language and philosophy, Anne-Lise Dyck-Daure worked in the exchange of rights in translation in the literary offices of the publishing house Seuil in Paris, and in the international agency Andrew Nurnberg in London. Currently she is in charge of the programme and administration of the LEC festival, for the Littératures Européennes Cognac (now in its 31st edition), that serves as a place where the authors from all over Europe meet. She also organises the Jean Monnet writing residency, which is open to young European literary creation.

Après des études de langues et de philosophie, Anne-Lise Dyck-Daure a travaillé plusieurs années dans les échanges de droits de traduction : depuis le bureau de scouting littéraire franco-allemand de Hella Faust, elle a contribué à installer plusieurs auteurs français dans des catalogues d’éditeurs européens, une activité qu’elle a poursuivie aux éditions du Seuil à Paris, en proposant des écrivains de fiction et de non fiction à des maisons du monde entier. Au sein de l’agence internationale Andrew Nurnberg à Londres, elle a participé au développement du département français.

Aujourd’hui, à Cognac dans le Sud-Ouest de la France, elle assure la programmation et l’administration du LEC festival pour Littératures Européennes Cognac (31ème édition en 2018), un lieu de rencontres pour les écrivains de toute l’Europe. Elle organise également la résidence d’écriture Jean Monnet, ouverte à la jeune création littéraire européenne.

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The LEC Festival, organized by Littératures Européennes Cognac, promotes reading and European contemporary literature. Each year in November, it is dedicated to a specific European area. 2017 was devoted to the Mediterranean Islands. The forthcoming edition heads North, for the Baltic Sea. Around 60 European writers, translators, journalists, publishers and artists gather during four days for literary meetings and readings, European debates, movies, concerts, performances, workshops and activities for children.

Apart from the festival, several cultural actions mobilize all over the year publics from schools and libraries in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (the biggest French « région », capital is Bordeaux).

Besides, each autumn the « Jean-Monnet » writing residency welcomes a young European writer for 2 months.

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Mohamed El-Baaly

Mohamed ElBaaly (Cairo, 1976) is a publisher, writer and cultural activist. He graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor in Arabic language and literature in 1998. He has worked as a journalist for more than 12 years in Cairo, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and continues to write articles and short stories in printed and online Arabic newspapers and literary magazines. He published his first short story in 1994 and plans to publish his first novel in 2018. Mohamed El-Baaly was involved in the Arab Spring since the beginning and committed to the movement of change in the region.

In 2009, Mohamed El-Baaly co-founded Sefsafa Publishing House. Since then Sefsafa has published more than 190 titles and proved to be one of the most active small publishing houses in Egypt. El-Baaly has participated in international book fairs and international programs like Frankfurt Book Fair Invitation Programme 2012, 2014, Young Publishers Visit Program to Germany 2012, Non-Fiction Publishers Professional Trip to Paris 2013, Sharjah Book Fair Professional Program 2014 and 2017, and Cultural Entrepreneurship Course in Cape Town 2015.

In 2014, Sefsafa started a comics festival in Egypt under the brand “Egypt Comix Week”, and has organized three editions. In February 2015 Sefsafa Culture & Publishing started teh annual Cairo Literature Festival. Mohamed El-Baaly played a major role in establishing the festival and he is the festival director. Writers from 13 counties participated in the first edition of the festival including Nobel Prize Winner Orhan Pamuk. In 2018 the festival had participants from 15 countries including Canada, Germany and the US. Besides, Mohamed El-Baaly has been a member in the jury of the short story competitions for young writers organized by Goethe Institute in Cairo in cooperation with LIPTROM and KFW in 2014, 2015 and 2018.

Mohamed is married to the Egyptian researcher Hend Magdi. They both live and work in Cairo, Egypt.

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Pierre Astier

Pierre Astier is the founder in 2006 and director of the Astier-Pécher Literary & Film Agency, a Paris and Malaysia based agency, which represents 50 French-speaking and International authors (Asli Erdogan, Nicolas Bouvier, Agota Kristof, Patrice Nganang, Ren Xiaowen, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, etc.) and 15 small press. The agency sells French and translations rights, as well as Film rights. After having worked for ten years in the art world (Karl Flinker Gallery, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, Palazzo Grassi, Venice), Pierre Astier created in 1988 the quarterly short stories magazine Le Serpent à Plumes. In 1993, he set up the eponymous publishing house, Le Serpent à Plumes, focusing on contemporary fiction and starting with two collections: Fiction française (Gisèle Pineau, Eric Faye, Amin Zaoui, Dany Laferrière, Abdourahman A. Waberi, Alain Mabanckou, etc.) and Fiction étrangère (Timothy Findley, Margaret Atwood, Nuruddin Farah, John Cheever, João Ubaldo Ribeiro, etc.). One year later, he created with Tania Capron the paperback collection Motifs. The collections Essais et Documents (Noam Chomsky, Edward Said), Musiques(Nick Cave, Brian Eno, Caetano Veloso), Serpent Noir and Désordres were launched shortly after.


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L-Erbgħa, 22 ta’ Awwissu, 6.00pm, quddiem id-daħla ewlenija tal-Forti

Dawra mal-Forti Manoel

Imexxi: Il-Perit u riċerkatur Edward Said

Din is-sena l-Festival mexa għal post speċjali ieħor: Il-Forti Manoel. Id-diwi tal-passat mad-diwi tal-kelma moqrija u d-daqq fl-isfond, jistgħu jinftiehmu aħjar b’tour mal-Perit Edward Said. Dan it-tour, f’forti li fl-isfond m’għandha xejn inqas mill-Belt Valletta nfisha, jibda fis-18:30 minn quddiem id-daħla prinċipali. Id-dħul huwa b’xejn, biss, inħeġġu lill-parteċipanti jagħtu donazzjoni b’risq Villa Frere. Min jixtieq jattendi għandu jikteb lil inizjamedprojects@gmail.com.

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The venue for this year’s edition of the MMLF will be Fort Manoel, a space permeated with historical subtexts. To fully appreciate such a venue, Inizjamed will be organizaing a tour by the Architect Edward Said. This tour, which has a s its background the Capital City itself, starts at 18:30 and participants are to meet in front of the main entrance. Entrance is free, however we do encourage partecipants to give a donation which will bi in aid of Villa Frere. Those whose like to attend are to write to inizjamedprojects@gmail.com.


Il-Ġimgħa 24 ta’ Awwissu 2018 / Friday August 24, 2018

Oħloq Kultura | Attività kreattiva għat-tfal waqt il-Festival

U se jkun hemm xi ħaġa għat-tfal waqt il-Festival ta’ din is-sena? Dażgur! Will there be an event catered for kids during the Festival?

More or Less Theatre f’kollaborazzjoni ma’ Valletta 2018 jippreżentaw workshop marbut mal-kitba tal-istejjer u l-bini ta’ mudelli mill-karti. It-tfal ikunu mistiedna jisimgħu dwar kultura li nħolqot f’waħda mill-iskejjel u matul il-Festival jikkontribwixxu biex jinnarraw partijiet diversi tal-istorja. Minn hemm joħolqu mudell b’oġġetti riċiklati. Kull tifel u tifla jikkontribwixxu fil-ħolqien ta’ parti mill-proġett – l-istess kif il-kulturi jinbnew ftit ftit minn ġenerazzjonijiet differenti. 

More or Less Theatre in collaboration with Valletta 2018 Foundation present a workshop on story writing and building papier-mâché models. The children will be invited to hear about a culture that has already been created by one of the school groups and, over the course of the festival, they will then contribute to the culture’s history by collaborating on parts of a story (using story-telling formulae) and then contributing to the construction of a structure using recycled material. Each group of children will contribute to a part of the project – just like cultures are gradually build up by generations of people.


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Attività oħra ta’ qabel il-Festival … marbuta mal-Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival 2018. Din id-darba mat-tfal.

Imexxu: Kit Azzopardi u Justine Somerville

Bil-qari minn Jake Cassar Isalva r-Renju tar-Re Pankrazju IV ta’ Clare Azzopardi (waħda mill-awturi tal-Festival), it-tfal se jidħlu f’dinja maġika, ikkulurita, u kemxejn stramba. Anzi… stramba ħafna. Imbagħad se jkun imiss lilhom biex fi gruppi joħolqu dinja ġdida, permezz tal-istampi u materjal ieħor. Se jagħtuha isem u se jiddeċiedu min huma dawk li jgħixu fiha, kif jikkomunikaw, x’jilbsu u x’tip ta’ ħajja jgħixu. Dak kollu li jimmaġinaw se jagħtuh il-ħajja fuq il-kartonċina, u fl-aħħar se jippreżentaw id-dinjiet tagħhom lil xulxin.


Migration and Exile: Literary Europe Live Plus

Saturday 25 August, 7.00pm | Fort Manoel, Manoel Island, Gzira

A discussion about Migration and Exile led by Alexandra Buchler with the participation of local authors and experts working in the field, namely Walid Nabhan, Dr Maria Pisani (Integra) and Murad Shubert.

This year’s programme is organised as part of the ‘Literary Europe Live Plus’ project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union in cooperation with Literature Across Frontiers.