Oliver Friggieri (27 March 194721 November 2020) was a Maltese

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

, and

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

. He led the establishment of literary history and criticism in Maltese while teaching at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

, studying the works of

Dun Karm Carmelo Psaila, better known as Dun Karm (Żebbuġ, 18 October 1871 – 13 October 1961) was a Maltese priest, writer and poet, sometimes called 'the bard of Malta'. He is widely recognised as the Maltese national poet. Life He was ed ...

Rużar Briffa Rużar Briffa (1906–1963) was a Maltese poet and dermatologist, and a major figure in Maltese literature. "I never thought of publishing these poems in a book. Some were written in hard times, others in moments of joy. And I wrote them for mys ...

, and others. A prolific writer himself, Friggieri explored new genres to advocate the

Maltese language Maltese ( mt, Malti, links=no, also ''L-Ilsien Malti'' or '), is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only offici ...

, writing the

libretti A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

for the first

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

and the first

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

in Maltese. His work aimed to promote the Maltese cultural identity, while not shying from criticism: one of his most famous novels, ''Fil-Parlament Ma Jikbrux Fjuri'' (No Flowers Grow in Parliament, 1986), attacked the tribalistic divisions of society caused by politics. From philosophy, he was mostly interested in

epistemology Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Episte ...

and

existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

.Mark Montebello, ''Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta'' (''A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta''), PIN Publications, Malta, 2001.

Early life and education

Friggieri was born in

Floriana Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana i ...

in 1947. He completed his secondary education at the Archbishop's

Minor Seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and ...

, and was in the

Major Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

until 1967. He entered the

in 1964, earning a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in Maltese,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

(1968). He was the first recipient of a Masters degree in Maltese literature from the University of Malta (1975). In 1978, he received a

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

Maltese literature Maltese literature is any literature originating from Malta or by Maltese writers or literature written in the Maltese language. This article will give an overview of the history of Maltese-language literature. History Written Maltese As Ma ...

and

Literary Criticism Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

from the

Catholic University of Milan The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Career

After graduating in 1968, Friggeri taught Maltese and Philosophy in secondary schools. In 1976, he moved to the University of Malta; he was promoted from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer in 1978, and from Lecturer to Associate Professor in 1988. That same year, he was chosen to be the

Chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

of the Department of Maltese language, a position which he held until 2002. He was made a Professor in 1990. Friggieri was an advocate of Maltese language and literature in newly independent Malta. He co-founded Malta's Literary Revival Movement (''Moviment Qawmien Letterarju'') in 1967; he was part of the editorial board (1969–73) of ''Il-Polz'', the movement's periodical, later becoming the editor (1974-1975). He also co-founded the popular children's literary and cultural magazine ''Is-

Sagħtar ''Sagħtar'' is a Maltese magazine published by the Malta Union of Teachers. It is published monthly during the school year, and is intended mainly for use within Maltese primary and secondary schools. Its content ranges from information regard ...

'' (1971). In 1971, Friggieri and Paul Mizzi established a publishing house, ''Klabb Kotba Maltin'' (Maltese Book Club), which facilitated the publishing of books in Maltese. He became the editor of the ''Journal of Maltese Studies'' in 1980. He was also a member of the Association Internationale des Critiques Litteraires of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Friggieri published in various genres. As his primary focus was

, most of his publications were not of a directly philosophical nature; they included dictionaries of literature,

cantatas A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of t ...

literary criticism Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

, literary biographies, and anthologies of his own

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

. He wrote the

for the first Maltese-language oratorio (''Pawlu ta’ Malta'', 1989), and cantata (''L-Għanja ta’ Malta'', 1989); both works were scored by

Charles Camilleri Charles Camilleri (7 September 1931 – 3 January 2009) was a Maltese composer. Early life Camilleri was born in Ħamrun and, as a teenager, composed many works based on folk music and legends of his native Malta. Career Camilleri moved fro ...

. Friggieri also wrote literary analyses of the works of Mikiel Anton Vassalli and Peter Caxaro. His works have been translated into 16 languages, including English, French, German, Italian and Greek. Friggieri supported the Maltese-language press, publishing articles in

L-Orizzont ''L-Orizzont'' (lit. "The Horizon") is a national daily newspaper in Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between ...

and

In-Nazzjon ''In-Nazzjon'' (lit. "The Nation") is a daily newspaper in Malta. It is published by Media.link Communications, a mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. ...

. Besides contributing to these and other local periodicals, Friggieri wrote novels and short stories. Many of these works are of special interest to philosophy, featuring

pathos Pathos (, ; plural: ''pathea'' or ''pathê''; , for "suffering" or "experience") appeals to the emotions and ideals of the audience and elicits feelings that already reside in them. Pathos is a term used most often in rhetoric (in which it is c ...

and philosophical reflections. His fiction and poetry were influenced by existentialism. His 1986 novel ''Fil-Parlament Ma Jikbrux Fjuri'' was highly controversial when published due to its unvarnished portrayal of political tribalism in Malta. He also penned a tribute to

Karin Grech Karin Maria Grech (1962 – 28 December 1977) was the daughter of Professor Edwin Grech, then head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at St. Luke's Hospital, Malta. In 1977, aged 15, she was killed by a letterbomb addressed t ...

and Raymond Caruana, casualties of Maltese political violence in the 1980s.Oliver Friggieri, intellectual who articulated nation’s consciousness, passes away

Malta Today ''MaltaToday'' is a twice-weekly English language newspaper published in Malta. Its first edition was published in 1999, and started out as a Friday newspaper. History ''MaltaToday'' was first published on Friday, 19 November 1999. It was edi ...

, 21 November 2020 Friggieri was part of the committee that translated EU legal texts into Maltese. In 2008, Friggieri published an autobiography, ''Fjuri li ma Jinxfux'' (Flowers Which Never Wither), spanning the years 1955–1990. In addition to his own writings, he translated works from

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

into Maltese. Friggieri received the Ġieħ l-Akkademja tal-Malti gold medal in 2016 and won Malta's National Book Prize several times. Prime Minister

Joseph Muscat Joseph Muscat (born 22 January 1974) is a Maltese politician who served as the prime minister of Malta from 2013 to 2020, and as the leader of the Labour Party from June 2008 to January 2020. Muscat was re-elected as prime minister in the ...

appointed him as

of the Foundation for National Festivities in 2013.

In popular culture

Verses from Friggieri's poem "Jekk" ("If") can be found printed on some bus shelters around Malta. This led to the poem being known as "the bus stop poem" by the general public. In 2018, the Maltese band The Travellers released the song "Ilkoll Flimkien". The lyrics of this song contain excerpts of the poem "Jekk".

Personal life

Friggieri and his wife Eileen had one daughter and two grandchildren. He died on 21 November 2020. A funeral organised by the state was held for him on 25 November, which was declared a

national day of mourning A national day of mourning is a day or days marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by the national government. Such days include those marking the death or funeral of ...

. A monument in his honour will be erected in his hometown of Floriana. The design of the monument is by the Maltese artist John Grima.

Honours

* : Government Literary Award (1988, 1996, 1997) * : Member, National Order of Merit (1999) * : Prize (2002) *: Officer of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking ...

(2012) *: Ġieħ l-Akkademja tal-Malti Gold Medal (2016)

Partial bibliography

Poetry * 1967 – ''Dħaħen fl-imħuħ'' *2002 – ''Sotto l'ombra degli occhi'' (anthology) Short stories * 1979 – ''Stejjer Għal Qabel Jidlam'' (Stories Before Nightfall) * 1991 – ''Fil-Gżira Taparsi Jikbru l-Fjuri'' (On The Island Where Flowers Pretend To Grow) Novels * 1977 – ''Il-Gidba'' (The Lie) * 1980 – ''L-Istramb'' (The Odd Fellow) * 1986 – ''Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri'' (No Flowers Grow in Parliament) * 1998 – ''Ġiżimin li Qatt ma Jiftaħ'' (The Jasmine Which Never Blossoms) * 2000 – ''It-Tfal Jiġu bil-Vapuri'' (Children Come in Ships) * 2006 – ''La Jibbnazza Niġi Lura'' (I Will Return After the Tempest) * 2008 – ''Fjuri li ma Jinxfux'' (Flowers Which Never Wither) * 2010 – ''Dik id-Dgħajsa f’Nofs il-Port'' (That Boat in Mid-Harbour) * 2013 – ''Children Come by Ship'' (English translation of the 2000 novel) * 2015 – ''Let Fair Weather Bring Me Home'' Dictionary * ''Dizzjunarju ta' Termini Letterarji'' (Dictionary of Literary Terms), 1986 and 1996 Nonfiction and criticism * Kittieba ta' Żmienna, 1970 * Ir-Ruħ fil-Kelma, 1973 *Rużar Briffa – L-Aħħar Poeżiji u Taħdita Letterarja, 1973 * Introduction to Ġ. A. Vassallo's ''Il-Ġifen Tork'', 1975 *Fl-Għarbiel, 1976 * Il-Kultura Taljana f'

, 1976 * Mekkaniżmi Metaforiċi f'Dun Karm, 1978 *Saġġi Kritiċi, 1979 * Storja tal-Letteratura Maltija, I, 1979 * Dun Karm – il-Bniedem fil-Poeta, 1980 *Dun Karm – Il-Poeżiji Miġbura, 1980 *L'esperienza leopardiana di un poeta maltese: Karmenu Vassallo, 1983 * Rużar Briffa – Il-Poeżiji Miġbura, 1983 * Ġwann Mamo – Il-Kittieb tar-Riforma Soċjali, 1984 * Il-Ħajja ta'

, 1984 * L-Idea tal-Letteratura, 1986 * Il-Jien u Lil hinn Minnu, 1988 * Dun Karm, 1989 * Saggi sulla letteratura maltese, 1989 * Il-Kuxjenza Nazzjonali Maltija, 1995 * L-Istudji Kritiċi Miġbura, 1995 * L-Istorja tal-Poeżija Maltija, 2001 * Dun Karm – Le poesie italiane, 2007

References

External links

*
Profile
o
OAR@UM
(The Word That Stirs the Soul)Radio program (in Maltese) where Friggieri discussed his work * {{DEFAULTSORT:Friggieri, Oliver 20th-century Maltese philosophers Maltese educational theorists Maltese educators 1947 births 2020 deaths People from Floriana Maltese male novelists 20th-century Maltese poets Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore alumni University of Malta alumni University of Malta academic personnel Recipients of the National Order of Merit (Malta) Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 21st-century Maltese poets Maltese male poets 20th-century Maltese novelists 21st-century Maltese novelists English–Maltese translators Italian–Maltese translators Latin–Maltese translators