Nhar it-Tlieta, 23 ta’ Mejju 2023, fis-6:00pm, fil-Librerija tal-Fakultà tal-Arti, fl-Università ta’ Malta, Tal-Qroqq, Frank Zammit, minn Sydney, se jitkellem fuq il-poeżija tiegħu u fuq il-letteratura Maltija fl-Awstralja.
L-awtur se jiġi intervistat minn Adrian Grima, li jgħallem il-letteratura Maltija fid-Dipartiment tal-Malti tal-Università. Waqt li jkun Malta, Zammit se joħroġ ktieb ġdid tal-poeżiji, Mill-Bir ta’ Qalbi (2023), bi studju ta’ Dr Patrick Sammut, li jiżdied ma’ għadd ġmielu ta’ kotba li ppubblika Malta u l-Awstralja.
Din l-attività pubblika qed jorganizzaha d-Dipartiment tal-Malti fi ħdan il-Fakultà tal-Arti u jista’ jattendi għaliha kulħadd. Il-Librerija tal-Fakultà tal-Arti tinsab fil-bini magħruf bħala Old Humanities li jinsab wara t-Teatru Temi Zammit. L-iktar dħul viċin huwa dak prinċipali li jinsab in-naħa tal-Isptar Mater Dei.
FRANK ZAMMIT twieled il-Belt Victoria, Għawdex fis-27 ta’ Jannar 1944 u trabba I-Marsa. Ta’ għoxrin sena emigra lejn I-Awstralja fejn iżżewweġ u kellu tlett itfal. FI-1981 reġa’ lura Malta bil-familja biex ta l-opportunità lil uliedu li jgawdu wkoll il-kumplament tal-familja u li jifhmu aħjar il-kultura Maltija, sakemm fl-1984 irritorna Sydney bil-familja.
Studja fis-Seminarju Arċiveskovili tal-Furjana, il-Liceo tal-Ħamrun, u Southampton, l-Ingilterra. FI-Awstralja għamel korsijiet terzjarji tal-accountancy, il-liġi kummerċjali, l-informatika, ix-xandir, u l-ġurnaliżmu f’diversi kulleġġi Awstraljani u fl-iSpecial Broadcasting Services (SBS) Sydney.
L-Awstralja kien wieħed mill-pijunieri tat-tagħlim tal-Malti. Ħadem bħala computer programmer u systems analyst, accountant, investment manager, u traduttur u interpretu part-time mal-gvern u mal-privat f’bosta oqsma. Għal ħafna snin kien parti mit-tim ta’ xandara tar-Radju SBS ta’ Sydney.
Fl-isfera letterarja, Zammit kien u għadu attiv fl-għaqdiet letterarji f’Malta u l-Awstralja. Il-poeżiji tiegħu dehru f’għadd ta’ kotba: Bejn Żewġ Gżiriet (1995); II-Ballata tal-Maltin ta’ New Caledonia (1988); Il-Quddiesa bil-Għana Malti (1990); It-Triq Imqaddsa (1990); Valentin V. Barbara: 70 Sena (koawtur, 1990); The Self and Beyond It, traduzzjoni ta’ ll-Jien u Lil Hinn Minnu ta’ Dun Karm (1997); Qwiel minn Fomm l-Imġarrab, poeżiji fuq stil ħajku (2010); u Mixjieti fi Triqatek (2013). Zammit huwa wkoll koawtur f’għadd ta’ antoloġiji li ħarġu fl-Awstralja u Malta, fosthom Trifolju ta’ Lwien (2014). Huwa jemmen li I-element ewlieni tal-identità Maltija huwa I-ilsien Malti.
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Frank Zammit and Maltese Literature in Australia
On Tuesday, 23 May 2023, Prof. Adrian Grima will be interviewing author Frank Zammit from Sydney about his poetry and Maltese literature in Australia.
During his visit, Zammit will be launching his poetry publication Mill-Bir ta’ Qalbi (2023) which includes a study by Dr Patrick Sammut.
This is a public event and is being organised by the Department of Maltese. It starts at 6:00pm and will be held in the Faculty of Arts Library at the University of Malta.
FRANK ZAMMIT was born in 1944 in Victoria, Gozo. He was raised in Marsa and emigrated to Australia at the age of 20. There he got married and had 3 children. He moved back to Malta in 1981 for a period of three years before returning to Sydney in 1984.
He studied at the Archbishop’s Seminary in Floriana, at the Lyceum in Ħamrun, and in Southampton, England. In Australia he studied accountancy, commercial law, informatics, broadcasting and journalism in several Australian colleges and with the Special Broadcasting Services (SBS).
He was one of the first individuals who promoted the teaching and learning of the Maltese language in Australia. He worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst, an accountant, an investment manager, and a part-time translator and interpreter in several government and private sectors. He was also part of the team of broadcasters with Radio SBS in Sydney.
Zammit is still very active in several literary organisations in Malta and Australia. His poetry was published in a number of anthologies: Bejn Żewġ Gżiriet (1995); II-Ballata tal-Maltin ta’ New Caledonia (1988); Il-Quddiesa bil-Għana Malti (1990); It-Triq Imqaddsa (1990); Valentin V. Barbara: 70 Sena (co-author, 1990); The Self and Beyond It, a translation of Dun Karm’s ll-Jien u Lil Hinn Minnu (1997); Qwiel minn Fomm l-Imġarrab, a collection of haiku poems (2010); and Mixjieti fi Triqatek (2013). He is also the co-author of a number of anthologies published in Australia and Malta, such as Trifolju ta’ Lwien (2014). Zammit believes that the Maltese language is central to the Maltese identity.