Paceville prose | Ivan Bugeja

What triggered you to write about Maltese youth? You're certainly not the first writer to take on the subject - what do you hope to contribute to the 'genre'?

I wrote Ġimgħa, Sibt u Ħadd specifically for the Konkors Letterarju għal Rumanzi għaż-Żgħażagħ. So the emphasis on the subject of Maltese youth was pretty much determined by the competition.

In fact, the competition suggested the inclusion of several young-adult-oriented themes such as teenage love, violence, drugs, alcohol, peer rejection and separation from parents.

Quite naturally, these themes, and other young-adult-oriented themes feature in Ġimgħa, Sibt u Ħadd.

As you said, several others have tackled the subject of Maltese youth. My point of view is perhaps different in that the story Ġimgħa, Sibt u Ħadd mostly happens (as the title suggests) in the three days of the weekend.

There is no time for longish scenes as the story seems to be photographed in snapshots at particular times of the day and night.

I tried to use the present tense as much as possible throughout the story to create a sense of immediacy and instantaneousness to the story. So, in the end, it is the way in which the story is written that is innovative to this particular genre.

What is your view of 'Paceville culture'? Do you think there's something vibrant about it, or do you think it's inherently destructive?

Paceville culture has, by now, become part and parcel of the life of most youth in Malta, and is likely there to stay.

There are two opposing aspects of this Paceville phenomenon. First, youth want to go to Paceville to entertain themselves.

Secondly, youth are bored by the repetitiveness of Paceville weekends. The two sides go together, maybe because we are too focused on Paceville as the sole means of entertainment, leading us to believe that there is no alternative.

I think the problem lies in believing that there Paceville and the nightlife scene are the only possible entertainment. In my book, I have explored other means of entertainment. So, in my opinion, Paceville should not be the only entertainment epicentre which Malta has to offer to our youth.

Did you have any particular audience in mind while you were writing the book?

Since the themes of the book are young-adult-oriented, young readers are perhaps the main audience.

I tried to keep the chapters as short as possible and to include some graphics along the story to keep interest in the story among young adults who tend to have a shorter attention span than adults.

However, I don't think the book is restricted to youth only. Adults can also read the book from their point of view, sometimes with a dose of nostalgia.

You're an accountant by profession. How do you make time for your writing - is there any kind of schedule you stick to?

I think it is a matter of setting priority. Writing a story is not linear, in the sense that one cannot plan to write so many pages per hour.

There are times when the writing flows but there are times when the paper remains empty. Starting the story is perhaps the most difficult part because you have to set the scenes and everything.

But, then as the story develops, it becomes relatively easier to continue since the scenes and characters are already in place.

It is also important to remember the ideas to use in writing - this is however easier said than done since I forgot many ideas when coming to write them down and then I had to come up with new ideas to keep the story going.

I think the best thing is to keep chapters short - it is faster to write a short chapter (although sometimes it takes more effort to economise on the words) and it is easier to combine short chapters together into a story. (It's sort of building a jigsaw puzzle). And short chapters tend to give a story a simple setting rather than complicate it with unnecessary descriptions.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

I think that patience has a lot to do with writing, because ideas don't fall from the sky. Seeking originality is also important since it is very easy to fall into clichés. Sometimes, combing two completely irrelevant ideas can give a surprising turn to a story. But, to begin with, there needs to be enthusiasm and a sense of satisfaction because no amount of patience and originality will crop up if the keenness for writing does not exist.

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