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‘Ġaħan fl-Aqwa Żmien’, Mark Camilleri’s first novel, out in July
The satirical novel represents ‘Ġaħanism’ and the political decadence of the times, what Camilleri – author of political polemic ‘A Rentseekers’ Paradeise’ – calls a story about Ġaħan in a Ġaħan country
Mark Camilleri’s first novel is out on 19 July, with a fiction taking on the political establishment entitled Ġaħan fl-Aqwa Żmien, lampooning Labour’s 2017 electoral slogan.
The satirical novel represents ‘Ġaħanism’ and the political decadence of the times, what Camilleri – author of political polemic ‘A Rentseekers’ Paradeise’ – calls a story about Ġaħan in a Ġaħan country.
The popular and literary character of Ġaħan originates from his Arab equivalent called Joha. Like the Maltese Ġaħan, Joha is an ignorant character who ends up in funny situations. Both Joha and Ġaħan have been popularised in children’s books and Ġaħan also evolved literary thanks to Francis Ebejer.
“Today, Ġaħan has been popularly revived thanks to Edward Żammit Lewis, a previous minister under Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela’s cabinet, who described Labour constituents as “Ġaħan” in a message he sent to Yorgen Fenech.
“With his reference to Ġaħan, Żammit Lewis probably meant to refer to Labour voters who use their vote as a way to obtain favours, yet this is ironic given that the ingratiating behaviour of Edward Zammit Lewis with Yorgen Fenech exposed him as the same Ġaħan he was alluding to,” Camilleri said.
“If we are to use the same terminology of Prime Minister Robert Abela, Ġaħan needs to renew himself. Therefore, this novel presents the renewed Ġaħan who today is named Dustin.”
Dustin is loose, lazy, alienated, comical, and a bit ignorant although Camilleri says today’s Ġaħan is rather more intelligent.
“Ġaħan is also a representation of the country itself and the country has evolved since then, and became more intelligent although it became also a danger to itself,” Camilleri says.
“Ġaħan’s stories are metaphorical such has when he licks the anus of a politician and this is because Ġaħan himself is inherently servile. Ġaħan’s most favourite activity is eating and this is also metaphorical whereas his ultimate aim in life is consumption as he struggles to have a higher purpose in life.”
