Representatives of Malta’s literary milieu take stand in defence of Vella Gera

The Magistrates’ court presided by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli today continued to hear the case against Alex Vella Gera, who stands accused on charges of obscenity over the publication of the short story Li Tkisser Sewwi on a university students’ pamphlet.

The defence presented a number of witnesses who provided their opinions on the work and the effect that restricting the short story – a first-person account of a misogynist published in the pamphlet Ir-Realtà – would have on society in general.

At the start of his testimony, author and former Labour minister Lino Spiteri mentioned that he has been active in the literary scene for 55 years. He said that when he read Vella Gera's piece he noted it was a good and strong example of the social reality on which he himself has written, considering it as “a piece of literary and moral work”.

He said that when one writes in the first person, as Vella Gera had done in his short story, he is “passing on to the reader the practical example of the worst part of our society.”

Spiteri also said that he recently found out that one of his own books which won the book award two years ago, is now banned from secondary schools and wondered why what he had written has such an effect now.

University professor Kenneth Wain said in his testimony that the controversy on Li Tkisser Sewwi was a common occurrence abroad, citing examples such as the banning of Lady Chatterley’s Lover or Marquis de Sade’s work.

Wain said that Vella Gera’s short story, distinguishing it from an article, should not be compared to pornography. “In this case, it leaves no space for one's imagination and it is a literature of excess realism in that the reason to be excessive is in fact not to be pornographic, but going beyond to make a statement.”

Ranier Fsadni, a lecturer in anthropology and a columnist for The Times, was surprised that people had confused this with a journalistic ‘article’. He said the short story was a “stream of consciousness” and that it was clear that the author's point of view was different from that of the protagonist.

Maria Grech Ganado, former lecturer at the University of Malta and Junior College, said she was disgusted by the main character in the story, but argued that the author wanted to portray a protagonist actually disgusts the reader. She mentioned how even a renowned author such as Charles Dickens wrote shocking things about children and child-labour in Victorian England.

Albert Gatt, from the University of Malta’s institute of linguistics, said it was common to also find real men who treated women in the manner that Vella Gera’s character does. He said the story, depicting small episodes of sexual conquests, was similar to other foreign authors’ works.

Adrian Grima, a lecturer in Maltese literature the University of Malta, said the short story actually condemned its main character through the way he boasts of his violent, sexual conquests. “The story provides a window to a reality which in fact exists. Do we want to know what lies in the abyss?” Grima asked, arguing that in analysing our darker sides, it helps society understand itself.

The witnesses also agreed that while restrictions exists on what language actually is published, the internet opens a window to far harsher and cruder subjects.

They even said the short story’s main character was modelled on people they themselves had met in real life. Rather than using an unknown form of language, it is an example of classic social realism, they argued.

When asked what would be the effect on Maltese literature if the writer’s right to express himself were inhibited, the witnesses agreed the effect would be disabling of literature in general. “Inhibiting authors writing in good faith would be prohibiting them from expressing themselves, and in turn, prohibiting Maltese literature from expanding as foreign literature did,” Grima said.

“Had Vella Gera’s work not been in Maltese it would have never created a quarter of the attention it did. It draws attention because being in the Maltese language, it shows us who we are and perhaps, we don’t wish to ask ourselves that question.”

Ranier Fsadni in fact referred to it as an experiment, and that such experiments in the literary camps help others to seek other directions and improve.

Wain added that the island had to mature and realise that it was part of a bigger world. “Maltese literature remains, as it was a long time ago, a backwater that is not corresponding to literary development as in other countries. While children should be protected, the situation is different when talking to adults and such restrictions rather make us a childish society.”

Maria Grech Ganado said society was not about “patriotism, religion and family… Literature allows us to accept the differences in human beings and that brings with it compassion. Stopping authors from writing in that way would not only go against the Maltese literary interests but also Maltese moral interests.”