2007: Obituaries
MaltaMedia remembers a number of people who passed away during 2007. Their lives made a significant impact on the Maltese way of life.
KARMENU ELLUL GALEA
(Died: 29 January 2007)
Karmenu Ellul Galea was a trade unionist, journalist, and author of socio-industrial books.
Ellul Galea was born on 10 November 1914 in Kalkara and spent his childhood in Zabbar. As a dockyard apprentice in his youth, he showed interest in the trade union sphere. It was also at this time that he started writing for the recognition of the Maltese language and workers' rights in Il Cotra.
In 1943 he was one of the founders of the General Workers’ Union, who met secretly in the cellar of St. Joseph Band Club in Hamrun. Earlier that year he addressed workers in mass meeting to recruits members to the GWU. Eventually he created the Benefit Scheme of the GWU, and in 1945 he served as a delegate in the National Assembly.
His work as a journalist flourished at the Union Press, but he also served on the editorial board of Il-Ħajja. In the 1960s he edited the satirical paper Il-Farfett, and he was the industrial correspondent for Il-Berqa and Il-Ħajja in the 1970s.
As co-founder and honorary president of the Malta Band Clubs Association he worked closely with several such societies across the Maltese islands. He was particularly associated with the Ghaqda Muzikali San Mikiel of Żabbar, of which he was president for several years.
Aside from his journalistic work, Ellul Galea's writings were published in several literary magazines, and the annual almanac Il-Pronostiku Malti and il-Malti. Some of his poems appear in an anthology he published called Twemmini (Veritas Press, 1971). Other books include It-Trejdunjoniżmu f’Malta (in 4 volumes), L-Istorja tat-Tarzna and Pijunieri tas-Sigurta’ Socjali.
In 1999 Ellul Galea was appointed member of the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Malta and in the same year he was awarded the Literary Prize for Research.
Karmenu Ellul Galea was married to the late Karmena and they had three daughters, Mary Grace, Lora, and Antoinette, and a son, Alfred.
PAUL J. NAUDI
(Died: 16 April 2007)
Chev. Paul J. Naudi was a civil servant.
He was born in Sliema on 27 June 1920 and attended the Lyceum. Naudi studied at the University of London and the Istituto di Studi di Politica Internazionali in Milan.
In 1938 Paul J. Naudi became a primary school teacher and one year later worked as a clerk at the Lyceum until 1943 when he was appointed Executive Office within the Office of the Governor General. Between 1947 and 1955 he served as private secretary to various elected officials in the office of the Ministry of Education.
He became Director of Information in 1955 a position he occupied until 1969, overseeing Tourism Services and the Government Printing Press. He returned to the Ministry of Education in 1971, where he again served as the Minister's secretary until his retirement for the civil service in 1978.
His managerial qualities where highly valued by senior government officials even after his retirement. Chev. Naudi chaired several organizing committees including ones for the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence in 1989, the Bush-Gorbachev summit of 1989, and Pope John Paul II's visit to Malta in 1990.
Chev. Naudi held the position of Exective Secretary in the Russian Center for Science and Culture bejn 1991-1995. He was granted the title of Chevalier by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, awarded an MBE by the UK, and also received the Croce al Merito Melitense and Commendatire Croce di Malta from the SMOM.
Paul J. Naudi was married to prominent Maltese actress Karmen Azzopardi.
GEORGE BONAVIA
(Died: 10 June 2007)
George Bonavia was a Maltese emigrant in Canada who worked extensively with Maltese emigrants in North America.
George Bonavia was born on 2 May 1920 in Zabbar. He was educated at the Lyceum and the Royal University of Malta, where he attended a 1939-40 course in health and hygiene. He was subsequently employed as Health Inspector with the Department of Health and served in the King's Own Regiment in Malta during World War II. In 1945 he was appointed editor with the Allied Malta Newspapers, a post he held until June 1948 when he emigrated to Canada, where he settled in Windsor, Ontario.
He worked with Ford Motor Company until 1953 when he became a Canadian citizen and joined the Canadian Civil Service. He became Immigration Officer in Windsor but in 1965 he moved to Ottawa to work as Information Officer with the Canada Immigration Department. Between 1966 and 1968 he was the PRO for the Immigration Office of the Canadian Embassy in Rome. He later did similar work for the Department of Employment and Immigration, Ottawa dealing with the ethnic media and ethnocultural groups until his retirement form civil service in 1982. Bonavia was also a key figure in the creation of the Windsor Citizenship Council. In June 1983 he was elected president of the Canadian Citizenship Federation.
Parallel to his career as a Canadian civil servant, Bonavia was most active amongst the Maltese community in Canada. He wrote weekly letters (known as L-Ittra mill-Kanada) published in the Maltese daily newspaper Il-Berqa between 1948 and 1957. Between 1954 and 1965 he edited and published The Malta News, a monthly newspaper for Maltese in Canada and the United States. In 1954 he organized the first Maltese radio programme in Canada and in 1961, with the cooperation of the C.B.C. International Service, he initiated a monthly radio programme called With George Bonavia in Canada, which was broadcast for about 30 years on both Rediffusion and radio in Malta.
Bonavia wrote several books, including Canada, Land of Hope and Prosperity (1951), Workers in Canada (1961), Focus on Canadian Immigration (Ottawa, 1977), Maltese in Canada (Ottawa, 1980), Immigrants We Read About (Ottawa, 1986), and Ethnic Publications in Canada (Ottawa, 1987). For several years he produced the International Rendezvous, a half-hour weekly programme carried on the English network of CBC. In 1961 he edited and published The Citizen's News, a monthly magazine in English for and about the ethnic communities. He also contributed regularly to Canadian Scene, a news service to the ethnic media. Bonavia was also the editor of Kaleidoscope Canada, a monthly magazine dealing with immigration and ethnocultural affairs. He continued to write for Kaleidoscope and similar publications even after his retirement.
He worked hard to promote the Maltese language and literature. As a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti, he secured a financial grant from the Canadian Government to a Maltese section in public libraries in Canada wherever there's was a Maltese community. His regular column Books from Malta in L-Aħbar, a monthly newspaper for Maltese in North America (published in Toronto since 1987) was an excellent source for Canadans to learn about the most recent acquisitions through this programme.
In recognition for his long service to the Maltese community, Bonavia was given several honours and awards. He was made Knight of Malta (1958) and awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), the Canadian Ethnic Journalists Award (1979), and the Citizenship Merit Award (1987). He was awarded the Medalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika by the Maltese Government in 1998.
George Bonavia married Mary Grech in 1946. Their five children are Connie, Joe, Paul, George and Lawrence.
EMANUEL HABER
(Died: 28 June 2007)
Emanuel Haber was a media executive and writer.
He was born in Hamrun on January 1922. Manwel, as he was known to all, received his education at the Polytechnic and a trade school. After school he was employed as a wireman with Rediffusion, the Bristish company responsible for broadcasting in Malta.
When Rediffusion was taken over by Xandir Malta in 1975, Manuel was on the forefront of the new management team. He subsequently became Head of TV Programmes and ended his career as Assistant Head of Xandir Malta, serving alongside Toni Pellegrini until his retirement in 1987.
Haber was very active within the Workers' Movement and served as President of the Malta-Korea Friendship Association since its founding in 1984. He was instrumental in the promotion of Kim Il Sung's Juche Idea in Malta.
He was a prolific author of political literature, lyrics for popular songs, and various plays for TV and radio. His novel Iben il-Maghtuba is a well-known example of Maltese working class literature.
He had one son Mark, who also worked in the media. His daughter in law, popular media personlity Eileen Montesin, is his granddaughter Christine Haber's mother.
MARIO SERRACINO INGLOTT
(Died: 22 September 2007)
Mario Serracino Inglott was a civil servant, a linguist, and chess master.
Mario was born in Cospicua on 4 November 1934. His father was the well-known linguist Erin Serracino Inglott. Mario attended St. Aloysus College and the Lyceum, later studying at Oxford University when receive a BA in economics.
His father was a major role model for him. Mario followed Erin in his love for the Maltese language and chess. He became Malta chess champion in 1947 at the age of 12. He eventually started taking part in international chess tournaments, including ones in Italy and Yugoslavia in 1957. For many years he served as president of the Malta Chess Association. He was also the first Maltese to be recognised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as an international chess arbiter.
In 1953 he was employed as a clerk at the Malta Dockyard but became a civil servant two years later. In 1963 he was transfered to Malta House in London at a time when the country was in the final stages of being granted independence from Great Britain. During the time he spent in London, he wrote several poems and short stories in Maltese and English. On returning to Malta, he worked for the Department of Industry and later the Ministry of Education, where he became the senior administrator in the Department of Sports. In 1980 he coordinated the Chess Olympiads in Malta - the largest edition up until that time. He retired from the civil service in 1985. Soon after that he became a teacher at Stella Maris College.
He was a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti and served as its vice-president for a number of years. His love for the Maltese language became most evident in 1983, when he started editing the posthumous volumes of his father's masterwork Il-Miklem Malti, which remains the most extensive study of the Maltese lexicon. His own publications include a History of Chess in Malta between 1880 – 1990 and his own dictionary and thesaurus Dizzjunarju Malti, published by Merlin Library.
Mario Serracino Inglott married Joan Antida Fsadni in 1960 and together they had a daughter named Lara.
JOHN C. FRIGGIERI
(Died: 8 November 2007)
John C. Friggieri was a writer and radio producer.
John was born in Floriana on 27 April 1915. He attended St Albert Central School and the Dockyard Technical College. Between 1931 and 1935 he worked asstorehouse boy the RNA Deport bejn 1931-1935, subsequently becoming a Dockyard employee in 1935. In 1964 he was appointed Civil Secretary to the Admiral and later he was promoted to Superintendent, a position he occupied until his retirement in October 1975.
Friggieri was very keen on three things in his spare time: writing, drama, and football. He served as President of the literary association L-Ghaqda Letterarja Maltija (1953-1973 and 1976-1978) and edited the association's magazine 'Forum'. In 1978 he was made Lifetime Honorary President of the association. Thoughout his tenure with L-Ghaqda Letterarja Maltija he also produced various literary programmes and radio plays on the Rediffusion cable radio service. One of the most popular of these radio programmes was called Mill-Gnejna Maltija.
His other passion, football, saw him as one of the founders of Lija Athletics FC, serving as club secretary and president betwen 1948 and 1959. In 1951 he was also a member of the MFA committee for 2nd and 3rd division clubs. Friggieri was also involved in other aspects of social life in Lija. He co-established the Lija branch of the Malta Playing Field Association with Mabel Strickland, and co-founder of the Lija Civic Council in 1954. Between 1975 u 1979 he established and edited the magazine Villa Lija, which was one of the first Maltese civil publications dedicated a particular town or village.
John C. Friggieri wrote several essays, short stories, poem, and radio plays u radju drammi. His publication include X’Tistenna l-Knisja mill-Genituri Insara (1962), Dahk bl-Irhis’ (1979), and Daqqu l-hdax (1982). He also translated two novels from English by A.E. Wilson F’Idejn Tiberju (1970) and It-Tradiment (1987) as well as A. Ronco's Wisq Aktar Minn Makna.
He married Mary Cachia on 4 February 1945 in Lija. Their four children are Joe, Donald, Albert and Marie Louise.
ĠORĠ MIFSUD-CHIRCOP
(Died: 19 December 2007)
Dr. Ġorġ Mifsud-Chircop was a folklorist and ethnographer, who specialized in oral storytelling in the Mediterranean region and traditional Maltese folk singing (għana).
He was born in Qormi on 28 June 1951 and studied in St. Aloysius College and University of Malta. In 1972 he began researching Maltese folklore in earnest in Malta, Göttingen, Palermo and Sheffield. Subsequently, he took part in various international conference and participated in the activities of several folklore associations around the world. In 1978 he was awarded the Karmen Mikallef Buħaġiar prize for the best MA thesis at the University of Malta. He later contributed to 'Avidi Lumi' published by the Teatro Massimo of Palermo, and served as editorial board member of 'Archivio Antropologico' the academic journal published in Palermo. His tireless work in this area brought about the First International Annual Conference of the SIEF Working Group on the Ritual Year, which eventually appeared in the book The Ritual Year - Proceedings (Malta, 2005). Other publications by Mifsud Chircop on Maltese folklore include, Praspar miktuba minn Dun Xand Cortis (1991), Manwel Magri: Ħrejjef Missirijietna (1994), Il-Leggendi ta’ Guze’ Delia (1996)
Dr Mifsud-Chircop joined the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta's Junior College in 1997. He had previously taught Maltese at St. Aloysius College. His textbooks Fommu bil-Għasel (1981) and Fommu bil-Għasel II (1997) are foremost among his publications for secondary and post-secondary Maltese students since the early 1980s, while pupils in primary schools enjoyed his Temprinu u Temprina series. He also edited 'Mis-Sillabu' (1984-1986) and co-edited 'Analizi' (1987), and served as President of the Għaqda ta’ l-Għalliema tal-Malti (2000-2002).
In 1997 he became the artistic director of the National Festival of Maltese Folk Singing produced by the Department of Culture every summer since 1998. This festival has been instrumental in reinvigorating widespread interest in the traditional Maltese singing genres of għana. Għana was also championed by Dr Mifsud Chircop or radio and television, where the series Tisqifa għall-Għana Tagħna broadcast on Ir-Radju tal-Universita' (1999-2000) showcased rare and new recordings of għana along with interviews he conducted with all the major singers and guitarists alive at that time. This series was the first ever Maltese radio series webcast on demand through the MaltaMedia Online Network. Among his works for television, the series Ix-Xogħol Waħdu Jurik (co-produced with Alvin Scicluna) won the Broadcasting Authority Award for Best TV Documentary Series in 1996.
Ġorġ was married to Marlene Said and they had two children Berenice and Jerome.
This page was complied by Mario Axiaq, Robert Micallef and Toni Sant.
MaltaMedia remembers a number of people who passed away during 2007. Their lives made a significant impact on the Maltese way of life.
KARMENU ELLUL GALEA
(Died: 29 January 2007)
Karmenu Ellul Galea was a trade unionist, journalist, and author of socio-industrial books.
Ellul Galea was born on 10 November 1914 in Kalkara and spent his childhood in Zabbar. As a dockyard apprentice in his youth, he showed interest in the trade union sphere. It was also at this time that he started writing for the recognition of the Maltese language and workers' rights in Il Cotra.
In 1943 he was one of the founders of the General Workers’ Union, who met secretly in the cellar of St. Joseph Band Club in Hamrun. Earlier that year he addressed workers in mass meeting to recruits members to the GWU. Eventually he created the Benefit Scheme of the GWU, and in 1945 he served as a delegate in the National Assembly.
His work as a journalist flourished at the Union Press, but he also served on the editorial board of Il-Ħajja. In the 1960s he edited the satirical paper Il-Farfett, and he was the industrial correspondent for Il-Berqa and Il-Ħajja in the 1970s.
As co-founder and honorary president of the Malta Band Clubs Association he worked closely with several such societies across the Maltese islands. He was particularly associated with the Ghaqda Muzikali San Mikiel of Żabbar, of which he was president for several years.
Aside from his journalistic work, Ellul Galea's writings were published in several literary magazines, and the annual almanac Il-Pronostiku Malti and il-Malti. Some of his poems appear in an anthology he published called Twemmini (Veritas Press, 1971). Other books include It-Trejdunjoniżmu f’Malta (in 4 volumes), L-Istorja tat-Tarzna and Pijunieri tas-Sigurta’ Socjali.
In 1999 Ellul Galea was appointed member of the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Malta and in the same year he was awarded the Literary Prize for Research.
Karmenu Ellul Galea was married to the late Karmena and they had three daughters, Mary Grace, Lora, and Antoinette, and a son, Alfred.
PAUL J. NAUDI
(Died: 16 April 2007)
Chev. Paul J. Naudi was a civil servant.
He was born in Sliema on 27 June 1920 and attended the Lyceum. Naudi studied at the University of London and the Istituto di Studi di Politica Internazionali in Milan.
In 1938 Paul J. Naudi became a primary school teacher and one year later worked as a clerk at the Lyceum until 1943 when he was appointed Executive Office within the Office of the Governor General. Between 1947 and 1955 he served as private secretary to various elected officials in the office of the Ministry of Education.
He became Director of Information in 1955 a position he occupied until 1969, overseeing Tourism Services and the Government Printing Press. He returned to the Ministry of Education in 1971, where he again served as the Minister's secretary until his retirement for the civil service in 1978.
His managerial qualities where highly valued by senior government officials even after his retirement. Chev. Naudi chaired several organizing committees including ones for the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence in 1989, the Bush-Gorbachev summit of 1989, and Pope John Paul II's visit to Malta in 1990.
Chev. Naudi held the position of Exective Secretary in the Russian Center for Science and Culture bejn 1991-1995. He was granted the title of Chevalier by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, awarded an MBE by the UK, and also received the Croce al Merito Melitense and Commendatire Croce di Malta from the SMOM.
Paul J. Naudi was married to prominent Maltese actress Karmen Azzopardi.
GEORGE BONAVIA
(Died: 10 June 2007)
George Bonavia was a Maltese emigrant in Canada who worked extensively with Maltese emigrants in North America.
George Bonavia was born on 2 May 1920 in Zabbar. He was educated at the Lyceum and the Royal University of Malta, where he attended a 1939-40 course in health and hygiene. He was subsequently employed as Health Inspector with the Department of Health and served in the King's Own Regiment in Malta during World War II. In 1945 he was appointed editor with the Allied Malta Newspapers, a post he held until June 1948 when he emigrated to Canada, where he settled in Windsor, Ontario.
He worked with Ford Motor Company until 1953 when he became a Canadian citizen and joined the Canadian Civil Service. He became Immigration Officer in Windsor but in 1965 he moved to Ottawa to work as Information Officer with the Canada Immigration Department. Between 1966 and 1968 he was the PRO for the Immigration Office of the Canadian Embassy in Rome. He later did similar work for the Department of Employment and Immigration, Ottawa dealing with the ethnic media and ethnocultural groups until his retirement form civil service in 1982. Bonavia was also a key figure in the creation of the Windsor Citizenship Council. In June 1983 he was elected president of the Canadian Citizenship Federation.
Parallel to his career as a Canadian civil servant, Bonavia was most active amongst the Maltese community in Canada. He wrote weekly letters (known as L-Ittra mill-Kanada) published in the Maltese daily newspaper Il-Berqa between 1948 and 1957. Between 1954 and 1965 he edited and published The Malta News, a monthly newspaper for Maltese in Canada and the United States. In 1954 he organized the first Maltese radio programme in Canada and in 1961, with the cooperation of the C.B.C. International Service, he initiated a monthly radio programme called With George Bonavia in Canada, which was broadcast for about 30 years on both Rediffusion and radio in Malta.
Bonavia wrote several books, including Canada, Land of Hope and Prosperity (1951), Workers in Canada (1961), Focus on Canadian Immigration (Ottawa, 1977), Maltese in Canada (Ottawa, 1980), Immigrants We Read About (Ottawa, 1986), and Ethnic Publications in Canada (Ottawa, 1987). For several years he produced the International Rendezvous, a half-hour weekly programme carried on the English network of CBC. In 1961 he edited and published The Citizen's News, a monthly magazine in English for and about the ethnic communities. He also contributed regularly to Canadian Scene, a news service to the ethnic media. Bonavia was also the editor of Kaleidoscope Canada, a monthly magazine dealing with immigration and ethnocultural affairs. He continued to write for Kaleidoscope and similar publications even after his retirement.
He worked hard to promote the Maltese language and literature. As a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti, he secured a financial grant from the Canadian Government to a Maltese section in public libraries in Canada wherever there's was a Maltese community. His regular column Books from Malta in L-Aħbar, a monthly newspaper for Maltese in North America (published in Toronto since 1987) was an excellent source for Canadans to learn about the most recent acquisitions through this programme.
In recognition for his long service to the Maltese community, Bonavia was given several honours and awards. He was made Knight of Malta (1958) and awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), the Canadian Ethnic Journalists Award (1979), and the Citizenship Merit Award (1987). He was awarded the Medalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika by the Maltese Government in 1998.
George Bonavia married Mary Grech in 1946. Their five children are Connie, Joe, Paul, George and Lawrence.
EMANUEL HABER
(Died: 28 June 2007)
Emanuel Haber was a media executive and writer.
He was born in Hamrun on January 1922. Manwel, as he was known to all, received his education at the Polytechnic and a trade school. After school he was employed as a wireman with Rediffusion, the Bristish company responsible for broadcasting in Malta.
When Rediffusion was taken over by Xandir Malta in 1975, Manuel was on the forefront of the new management team. He subsequently became Head of TV Programmes and ended his career as Assistant Head of Xandir Malta, serving alongside Toni Pellegrini until his retirement in 1987.
Haber was very active within the Workers' Movement and served as President of the Malta-Korea Friendship Association since its founding in 1984. He was instrumental in the promotion of Kim Il Sung's Juche Idea in Malta.
He was a prolific author of political literature, lyrics for popular songs, and various plays for TV and radio. His novel Iben il-Maghtuba is a well-known example of Maltese working class literature.
He had one son Mark, who also worked in the media. His daughter in law, popular media personlity Eileen Montesin, is his granddaughter Christine Haber's mother.
MARIO SERRACINO INGLOTT
(Died: 22 September 2007)
Mario Serracino Inglott was a civil servant, a linguist, and chess master.
Mario was born in Cospicua on 4 November 1934. His father was the well-known linguist Erin Serracino Inglott. Mario attended St. Aloysus College and the Lyceum, later studying at Oxford University when receive a BA in economics.
His father was a major role model for him. Mario followed Erin in his love for the Maltese language and chess. He became Malta chess champion in 1947 at the age of 12. He eventually started taking part in international chess tournaments, including ones in Italy and Yugoslavia in 1957. For many years he served as president of the Malta Chess Association. He was also the first Maltese to be recognised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as an international chess arbiter.
In 1953 he was employed as a clerk at the Malta Dockyard but became a civil servant two years later. In 1963 he was transfered to Malta House in London at a time when the country was in the final stages of being granted independence from Great Britain. During the time he spent in London, he wrote several poems and short stories in Maltese and English. On returning to Malta, he worked for the Department of Industry and later the Ministry of Education, where he became the senior administrator in the Department of Sports. In 1980 he coordinated the Chess Olympiads in Malta - the largest edition up until that time. He retired from the civil service in 1985. Soon after that he became a teacher at Stella Maris College.
He was a member of the Akkademja tal-Malti and served as its vice-president for a number of years. His love for the Maltese language became most evident in 1983, when he started editing the posthumous volumes of his father's masterwork Il-Miklem Malti, which remains the most extensive study of the Maltese lexicon. His own publications include a History of Chess in Malta between 1880 – 1990 and his own dictionary and thesaurus Dizzjunarju Malti, published by Merlin Library.
Mario Serracino Inglott married Joan Antida Fsadni in 1960 and together they had a daughter named Lara.
JOHN C. FRIGGIERI
(Died: 8 November 2007)
John C. Friggieri was a writer and radio producer.
John was born in Floriana on 27 April 1915. He attended St Albert Central School and the Dockyard Technical College. Between 1931 and 1935 he worked asstorehouse boy the RNA Deport bejn 1931-1935, subsequently becoming a Dockyard employee in 1935. In 1964 he was appointed Civil Secretary to the Admiral and later he was promoted to Superintendent, a position he occupied until his retirement in October 1975.
Friggieri was very keen on three things in his spare time: writing, drama, and football. He served as President of the literary association L-Ghaqda Letterarja Maltija (1953-1973 and 1976-1978) and edited the association's magazine 'Forum'. In 1978 he was made Lifetime Honorary President of the association. Thoughout his tenure with L-Ghaqda Letterarja Maltija he also produced various literary programmes and radio plays on the Rediffusion cable radio service. One of the most popular of these radio programmes was called Mill-Gnejna Maltija.
His other passion, football, saw him as one of the founders of Lija Athletics FC, serving as club secretary and president betwen 1948 and 1959. In 1951 he was also a member of the MFA committee for 2nd and 3rd division clubs. Friggieri was also involved in other aspects of social life in Lija. He co-established the Lija branch of the Malta Playing Field Association with Mabel Strickland, and co-founder of the Lija Civic Council in 1954. Between 1975 u 1979 he established and edited the magazine Villa Lija, which was one of the first Maltese civil publications dedicated a particular town or village.
John C. Friggieri wrote several essays, short stories, poem, and radio plays u radju drammi. His publication include X’Tistenna l-Knisja mill-Genituri Insara (1962), Dahk bl-Irhis’ (1979), and Daqqu l-hdax (1982). He also translated two novels from English by A.E. Wilson F’Idejn Tiberju (1970) and It-Tradiment (1987) as well as A. Ronco's Wisq Aktar Minn Makna.
He married Mary Cachia on 4 February 1945 in Lija. Their four children are Joe, Donald, Albert and Marie Louise.
ĠORĠ MIFSUD-CHIRCOP
(Died: 19 December 2007)
Dr. Ġorġ Mifsud-Chircop was a folklorist and ethnographer, who specialized in oral storytelling in the Mediterranean region and traditional Maltese folk singing (għana).
He was born in Qormi on 28 June 1951 and studied in St. Aloysius College and University of Malta. In 1972 he began researching Maltese folklore in earnest in Malta, Göttingen, Palermo and Sheffield. Subsequently, he took part in various international conference and participated in the activities of several folklore associations around the world. In 1978 he was awarded the Karmen Mikallef Buħaġiar prize for the best MA thesis at the University of Malta. He later contributed to 'Avidi Lumi' published by the Teatro Massimo of Palermo, and served as editorial board member of 'Archivio Antropologico' the academic journal published in Palermo. His tireless work in this area brought about the First International Annual Conference of the SIEF Working Group on the Ritual Year, which eventually appeared in the book The Ritual Year - Proceedings (Malta, 2005). Other publications by Mifsud Chircop on Maltese folklore include, Praspar miktuba minn Dun Xand Cortis (1991), Manwel Magri: Ħrejjef Missirijietna (1994), Il-Leggendi ta’ Guze’ Delia (1996)
Dr Mifsud-Chircop joined the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta's Junior College in 1997. He had previously taught Maltese at St. Aloysius College. His textbooks Fommu bil-Għasel (1981) and Fommu bil-Għasel II (1997) are foremost among his publications for secondary and post-secondary Maltese students since the early 1980s, while pupils in primary schools enjoyed his Temprinu u Temprina series. He also edited 'Mis-Sillabu' (1984-1986) and co-edited 'Analizi' (1987), and served as President of the Għaqda ta’ l-Għalliema tal-Malti (2000-2002).
In 1997 he became the artistic director of the National Festival of Maltese Folk Singing produced by the Department of Culture every summer since 1998. This festival has been instrumental in reinvigorating widespread interest in the traditional Maltese singing genres of għana. Għana was also championed by Dr Mifsud Chircop or radio and television, where the series Tisqifa għall-Għana Tagħna broadcast on Ir-Radju tal-Universita' (1999-2000) showcased rare and new recordings of għana along with interviews he conducted with all the major singers and guitarists alive at that time. This series was the first ever Maltese radio series webcast on demand through the MaltaMedia Online Network. Among his works for television, the series Ix-Xogħol Waħdu Jurik (co-produced with Alvin Scicluna) won the Broadcasting Authority Award for Best TV Documentary Series in 1996.
Ġorġ was married to Marlene Said and they had two children Berenice and Jerome.
This page was complied by Mario Axiaq, Robert Micallef and Toni Sant.