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SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
NOVELS
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
ADAPTATIONS
ANTHOLOGIES
SCREENPLAYS
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It’s not easy to describe Qed Nistenniek Niezla max-Xita. One moment, we're reading about dating in the big European cities, about clubs and parties and late-night musings. The next, we're in Gozo on the eve of the 1987 general election, with all the attendant tension and short tempers. It's a book about being European, about being young and inquisitive; but it's also a book about the Maltese roots that stay with us throughout our lives, making us look (fondly?) back at the idiosyncracies of living in a tiny island with attendant island mentality. Mejlak is one of the youngest published authors in Malta. Yet he is already celebrating his first decade as a published author, and a read-through of his backlist provides an overview of the development of a writer. In a relatively short time, Mejlak has grown into an artist of the written word, with a command of the modern Maltese idiom that is difficult to match. Having started with children's fiction and translations, over the past few years Mejlak gained a cult following online with his blogs, where he experimented with styles and expanded his repertoire. In 2007, Mejlak published his first teenage novel, Rih Isfel, which was hailed by critics and readers as heralding the coming-of-age of Maltese teenage literature. The book also won him the National Book Award for Best Teenage Book – marking the second time in his career that Mejlak won the National Book Award. Fans have been expecting – and fervently hoping for – a new work from Mejlak. This work is finally here: a collection of incisive short stories, each a snippet of life – be it life in a small Maltese village, be it a noisy cosmopolitan life, be it the life spent searching for an identity, for excitement or simply for companionship. It is often said of short stories that they are ideal for dipping in and out of, small but perfectly formed self-contained tales. In Qed Nistenniek Niezla max-Xita, this form finds its perfect expression. Each of the stories is a polaroid of a moment in a life, and the magic of Mejlak's writing is the capacity to make this polaroid as sharp and focused as a full-length novel would be, with believable characters and heartfelt emotions. Stories such as Il-Madonna f’Dar Evelina (The Madonna round Evelina's), Myslovitz or L-ewwel bajda (The first egg), beggar belief in their seeming simplicity and perfection of style. Others, such as Il-Hadd wara l-Ikel (Sunday just after lunch) are guaranteed to move any reader to tears. Others still, such as Dar ix-Xoghol or Ir-rih tal-bidla (The wind of change), reflect the complicated Maltese way of living politics. Each and every one who reads this book will have their own favourite story. Born in Gozo and presently living in Brussels, Mejlak is representative of his generation, the Generation-EU twenty-somethings who left Malta but are still very much connected to it, writing for and about it, and injecting a new style and freshness into writing in Maltese. (from Manic Magazine, February 2009)
Reviews "Short stories are not a genre that I go for,
generally, but I found myself moving from one to the other at quite
a clip, probably because the language and the style were such as
to engage me very strongly. One of the stories actually moved me
to, well, if not tears, very damp eyes. This was good stuff." "Pierre paints pictures with unusual colours
and brushstrokes, without explaining, because it is the story and
characters which paint themselves" "I had to read this book twice, some parts
even three times, not because it is difficult to understand, but
because it is addictively beautiful." "Fascinating" "Vibrant and forward-looking" "Mejlak is paradoxical in his stories, often
flitting from one major European city to another for backgrounds
while still keeping his feet firmly stuck to the potholed tarmac
of Maltese village life, where time seems to have stood still. In
so doing he casts a penetrating eye at life from the various vantage
points of eternal love, pure sex, petty politics and friendship,
bereft of the peace of mind one is hopelessly always looking for.
The author reflects his society and this is indeed a livid society
that may have roots but cannot decide whether to let them grow deeper
or to remove them once and for all. Mejlak is a keen observer and
a great collector of people's hearts and moods. He recalls scenes
and events almost nonchalantly but remains amazingly convincing.
There are times when he tends to drift away, ostensibly by way of
showing his dissent or disinterest, while at other times he is clearly
provocative and challenging. From huge respect to the readers, he
sometimes tends to overlook them, so absorbed and so fascinated
by the characters and situations in his own stories. His undeclared
respect for continuity in life is reflected in his writing (...)
I have honestly not been this excited by young Maltese writers since
way back in the 1970s. Malta's ever-growing cosmopolitan nature
comes out like a laser beam, seeking, finding and transfixing you.
Mejlak is a keen observer and a great collector of people's hearts
and moods. This book will go a long way towards confirming Mejlak
as one of Malta's top young writers. His uncluttered style and a
penchant for the straightforward give him the edge in present-day
Maltese Literature that is struggling albeit successfully, to claim
tomorrow as a reality and not a myth." "Seeing a popular jazz club jampacked with
people for the launch of a book in Maltese, says a lot about how
eagerly awaited Mejlak's latest book was." "Extraordinary! Read it!" "Mejlak's voice ranges from the melancholic
to the comic, from the political to the personal - but always heartfelt
and intimate." "This book marks an important development in
Maltese Literature, quite simply because Maltese is being used to
describe the outside world first hand in the most natural way. The
resulting collection of stories is a breath of fresh air. This is
poetic pop literature, refreshingly unburdended by guilt or complexes." "Like his previous work, a compulsive page
turner" "A splendid collection of emotions" "Mejlak - probably the best writer of his generation
- is at his best." "Simply put, beautiful." "As the Maltese proverb goes, the early morning
sun bodes well for the entire day. Mejlak takes us a stride further
in the maturation of his writing. This book confirms Mejlak as a
natural born writer, whilst marking him as an important exponent
of New Maltese Literature." "Written as finely and as carefully as Gozitan
lace." "A breath of fresh air." "Writing in his mother tongue is this young
author's greatest inspiration." |
