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Karl Schembri
What do Imperium Europa and Dun Karm have in common? You’d be surprised.
Couched between the national poet’s patriotic verses lauding Malta as the centre of the world and others exalting rural primitiveness, the notions of our national identity are all built on the denigration of ‘inferior’ cultures. And it’s not just Dun Karm, mind you.
“Many people think that our literature books, even the ones we were given to read when we were young, are neutral, that there are only good values, but a close reading of the texts reveals some very disparaging discourses against foreigners, or certain types of foreigners,” says the President of L-Akkademja tal-Malti, Marco Galea, who is also a lecturer of Maltese at the Junior College and University.
“Turks, Arabs and blacks are always portrayed negatively, and the effect on people’s perceptions is inevitable if such literature is not read critically.”
The subject of racism and xenophobia in Maltese literature and its effects on society will be the subject of a seminar that will be held the coming Saturday called Ta’ Barra Minn Hawn: Ir-Razza u r-Radika fil-Letteratura Maltija.
It will be a first for the Maltese language organisation that has earned a reputation for its deep-rooted conservatism and internal petty squabbles on inconsequential orthographic questions.
“I want the Akkademja, which is above anything else an organisation that represents authors, to be relevant to society by starting off this debate,” Galea said. “We have to change this idea that literature is a neutral activity that doesn’t hurt. Far from that, it is a sharp-edged knife, and the way it is used will have consequences on the readers, its subjects and the world.”
Among the authors tackled there will be classics like Guzè Aquilina, Guzè Muscat Azzopardi, Gananton Vassallo and Manwel Dimech.
“These authors are still in the curriculum and it’s not the case that they should be removed,” Galea added. “But it’s about time to start looking at them critically, aware of the racist and xenophobic ideas to be able to debunk them.”
The seminar will be held at the University’s Erin Serracino Inglott hall between 9am and 1pm. Participation is open to everyone and free of charge.
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