Memoirs to reignite your own personal stories

A collection of personal memoirs from the author’s career in print journalism, national broadcasting, and literature, the book provides stories and anecdotes to which people of different generations may identify with.

“Ras il-Għajn”, with an introduction by Trevo Żahra, offers a quick and sometimes nostalgic journey that may easily reignite one’s own personal stories. There are memories that raise an easy smile as one revisits situations, events and personalities from his or her different perspective.

The book cover of “Ras il-Għajn” by Charles Flores

Some glimpses:

• Flores’s book takes us back to the mid-60s when – for the first time – teenaged girls and boys started, God forbid, to mix for social and entertainment purposes thanks to the setting up of a number of mixed youth clubs. Segregation of church congregations and school classes quickly became obsolete, despite protests from State and clerical authorities then in power.
• Raymond Mahoney was a foremost lyricist, writer and poet since the mid-60s before his sad passing on July 25, 2023. Long-time friend of the author, Mahoney wrote the lyrics of the rock opera masterpiece “Ġensna” and various poetry collections and novels. Inevitably, he features prominently in Flores’s book of recollections with both sombre and lighthearted moments.
• There’s no escaping reading about and crossing paths with fellow Maltese in all fields of life around the world. Throughout history,  Maltese-born personages have figured in various sectors, among them the international media, books, the colonial era, sports and classical music. But there are also many examples of everday Maltese citizens appearing here, there and everywhere in curious scenarios.
• During the first months of 1972 a Malta-UK diplomatic dispute was brewing over the rent for the British military base on the island. This eventually led to “Operation Exit” undertaken to meet a Maltese Government ultimatum for negotiations to be completed in agreement or not. The families of British Servicemen started packing their belongings to be sent to the UK on five waiting RAF Nimrod aircraft. Flores returns to this historic issue via his personal and journalistic experiences. There is also the worried Maltese guard at RAF Luqa.
• Football enthusiasts of various generations have lingering memories of the old Empire Stadium in Gżira. So many stories and events, so many memorable games and player legends are still part of the history of the stadium. Flores provides some of his own, often very personal observations, such as the nauseating coffee sold there, and the humble lad who hung red balls to indicate the score during matches.
• The 1980s were marked by social, economic, technological and political situations that led to a very difficult period in Maltese history. National broadcasting was, for many, either a victim or a perpetrator, possibly both. Caught in the eye of the storm, Flores writes about personal experiences during that period. A behind-the-scene sort of recollection.
• Since way back in the 50s to the late 90s, Europe’s most popular television programme was “Jeux Sans Frontieres”, for Maltese viewers better known in its Italian title of “Giochi Senza Frontiere”. Malta’s admission to the series in 1994 and 1995 provoked an even keener public interest. Maltese and Gozitan towns and villages sent their teams, obtaining mixed results. The author paints an overall picture of those two exciting years during which scores of young men and women took part.
• The very word Rediffusion provokes  a stream of memories to sundry generations. Not even WWII had stopped its services. Decades later, that “talking box” became known as Cable Radio, but with a future already under threat from advancing technologies. To many people, its closure in the late 80s was as sad as it was nostalgic.
• Fleet Street in London was, for centuries, the hub of British print journalism, with major newspapers of world repute operating from it. The author reminisces about his close contact with the UK media in connection with Malta-based stories, with particular reference to the British Services, and notorious headliners from the UK, like the businessman John Gaul and his Comino period. 
• Elizabeth II of Great Britain was often – and still is – described as infatuated with the Maltese Islands. A small medal given to the author when she first visited Malta as a queen in 1954 features prominently in the book. Where did the medal resurface decades later?
• The incredible revival of our capital city, Valletta, is a reality we are all experiencing. It follows a rather long period of neglect and tribulations. Flores takes a personal and anecdotal tour of the city, with its memories and changes mixed in with today’s actualities.
• Every book in your hand has its own story, filled by all those whose creativity, courage and determination continue to enhance Malta’s own literature on the shelves of our bookshops. Authors and their publishers continue to find the battle to sustain their artistic and resourceful aspirations ever more challenging.  The limited Maltese book market is a hurdle that seems to get higher with the passage of time. Where do the publishers and their many authors stand at this moment in time?

“Ras il-Għajn” from Charles Flores’s established pen is available from all leading bookshops.