Christmas 23

NEW TITLES 2023

Antoine Camilleri A World Within Antoine Camilleri’s works are the product of their times as much as they rise above, or are plainly disregarding of, temporality. His are images that effortlessly embrace several dialectics, at times diametrically opposed. Such dialectics range from introverted musings about Camilleri’s country of origin to a flailing search into the geographical and the religious beyond; they go from the deeply personal to the universal and they span the distance between the spiritual and the sensual. Filtered through Camilleri’s uniquely personal Sacred Gaze, these are works that implicitly mirror a life in transition and incessantly search for the authentic core of a country in the process of change.

Over 250 artworks

Editor: Christian Attard Specifications: 325 x 240 mm | 368 pgs | Hardback

€95

Splendour & Devotion The Art Collections of the Order of St John The rich history of the Order of St John is often told through descriptions of important battles and the deeds of heroic men. The loss of Rhodes, the granting of Malta to the Knights by Charles V, and the Great Siege, are perhaps the most significant markers in the history of the Order in the early modern period. It is therefore exciting to discover an alternative approach to the history of the Order through the lens of art appreciation, collecting, and display. Theresa Vella’s meticulous research into a rich body of source material, especially inventories, wills, and correspondence, draws the reader into what it was about the Knights’ experience that was distinctive and specific to them, while also placing them in the larger framework of European elite culture.

Elegantly written and thoughtfully conceived, this lavish production is grounded in scholarly research but accessible to a wide readership. To read it is to enter a fascinating world.

By Theresa Vella with photography by Daniel Cilia Produced by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti Published by Kite Group Specifications: 300 x 255 mm | 304 pgs | Hardback

€95

Theresa Vella’s book elegantly situates the collections and collecting practices of the Knights of Malta in the wider European context.

Jacques François De Chambray The Order he served, the Island he loved, and the Fort he built Joseph Scicluna has done an excellent job at examining the records and bringing them together in such wealth of detail for the very first time here in this book. Reading through the pages of Scicluna’s account, one can practically visualize Bailiff Chambray supervising the works with his commanding presence.

Stephen C. Spiteri Joseph Scicluna presents an impressive amount of detailed information on Chambray and his times in excellent harmony with a rich collection of images, some of which hitherto unpublished. This painstakingly researched and well-written account is indeed a noteworthy debut for this Gozitan historian and a valuable contribution to the historiography of the Order in Malta. It will long remain the definitive biography of the great naval commander who wrote such glorious pages in the naval annals of the Order of St John.

Thomas Freller As it turned out, it had to be someone from Għajnsielem to write the history of Chambray! ... and maybe that’s the way it was meant to be.

Francis Cauchi, Mayor of Għajnsielem

1994–2015

By Joseph Scicluna Specifications: 325 x 240 mm | 528 pgs | Hardback

€120

Exposure Fragmented Sculptures on an Island Coast “The dynamic interplay between land and sea, the rugged rock-face, the shadow and light, profoundly influenced the way this project was approached. This unique intersection represents a delicate balance of natural forces, where the terrestrial world converges with the aquatic realm. Just as in architecture, composition and arrangement in photography requires a thought arrangement of visual elements, and must take into consideration the placement of subjects, lines, shapes and textures to create a compelling composition.”

Alex Attard interviewed by Prof Conrad Thake

Photography Alex Attard Specifications: 325 x 240 mm | Hardback

€85

“Alex Attard’s coastline series excretes a silent stoicness that is evoked by a profound connection to the primaeval quality of the yet unspoilt landscape which harkens back to the Earth’s enigmatic origins.”

Prof Vince Briffa

Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning Awards The Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning Awards (MASP), organised by the Planning Authority, is intended to highlight the best architectural design projects that have been undertaken during the past years.

The awards provide recognition to Maltese architects, planners, designers and their clients, for their notable contribution to the enhancement of our environment. This publication showcases all those projects that were submitted for the 4th edition of the awards including the recipients of an overall award or a special commendation in various categories.

This volume specifically addresses all those engaged in the disciplines of policy-making, spatial planning, architecture, restoration and interior design. By disseminating these projects to a wider audience, one hopes that this publication will serve as a catalyst for better-quality developments that are not only sustainable but also respectful of our environment.

Specifications: 325 x 240 mm | 362 pgs | Hardback

€85

IN SEARCH OF LINE In Search of Line dives deep into the artists’ drive to create and represent images, meanings, and emotions through line. It presents a fully illustrated journey which captures the spirit of the ‘line’: creative, inquisitive, at times serious and complex, and at others surprisingly playful and straightforward.

The reflective piece penned by Sarah Chircop, introduces the three main sections of this title—the line’s manifestation in invention, gesture, and movement. The point-form structure and seemingly fragmented ideas, gradually combine into a consistent narrative, deepened by the essays of the various authors, each written with an independent rhythm inspired by the highlighted artwork. Inviting, yet inconclusive, these essays are intended to act as guides, mere signposts, along an imaginative, visual, sensorial journey in search of the concept, expression, and legacy of line, through stunning examples of Maltese art history and beyond—from the Maltese twentiethcentury greats like Apap, Agius, Borġ, Camilleri, Caruana, Chircop, Cremona, Kalleya, Pace, Portelli, Sciortino, to foreign masters and pioneers like Preti, Spence, Fontana, and Pasmore… and more.

In Search of Line features essays by prominent artists, philosophers, renown and upcoming art writers, including Matthew Attard, Robert Brewer Young, Vince Briffa, Richard England, Giulia Privitelli, and Michael Zammit.

Artists featured in this title Willie Apap, Antonio Sciortino, Alfred Chircop, Josef Kalleya, Carmelo Mangion, Antoine Camilleri, Anton Inglott, Emvin Cremona, Victor Diacono, Esprit Barthet, Isabelle Borg, Frank Portelli, Joseph Calleja, Ġorġ Borg, Anton Agius, Gabriel Caruana, Toni Pace, Edward Pirotta, Victor Pasmore, Edward Lear, Salvatore Rosa, Luca Giordano, Mattia Preti, Agostino Carracci, Stefano della Bella, Carlo Dolci, Pier Leone Ghezzi, Gianni Secomandi, Julian Trevelyan and Mary Fedden

Specifications: 250 x 210 mm | 172 pgs | Paperback

€45

Enriquè Tabone Enriquè Tabone is a UK-based Maltese artist whose works are known for their emotional depth and technical mastery. This catalogue raisonné provides a comprehensive overview of her career, showcasing her diverse body of work and highlighting the evolution of her artistic vision. Through a selection of her sculptures and mixed media works, this catalogue offers a glimpse into the mind of an artist whose unique perspective and skillful execution have earned her a reputation as a leading figure in the Maltese art scene. It also includes an introduction to her life and career, and texts that elaborate on the themes and motifs that have been recurrent in her work. This book serves as an important reference for collectors, curators, scholars and art enthusiasts alike, and provides a testament to the enduring legacy of Enriquè Tabone’s contribution to the world of art.

Specifications: 245 x 168 mm | 224 pgs | Hardback

€40

Enriquè T Enriquè Enriquè T Enriqu Enriquè T

Tabone è Tabone Tabone uè Tabone Tabone

Għanja ta’ Ħabib “F’din id-damma ta’ poeżiji nixtieq naqsam mal-qarrej il-lehma ta’ żgħożiti, il-ħolm, ix-xewqat, it-turufnament u l-faraġ tal-adolexxenza. Dan huwa mument awtobijografiku. Fil-poeżiji li ktibt fiż-żgħożija tiegħi hemm ukoll rifless iż-żmien li għext fih u l-aspirazzjonijiet talġenerazzjoni tiegħi. Hemm ukoll l-imħabba li ssawret f’qalbi għall-kampanja Maltija, għall-patrimonju kulturali tagħna l-Maltin, għall-fidi safja ta’ missirijietna.” + Charles J. Scicluna Arċisqof ta’ Malta

By HG Charles J. Scicluna Specifications: 275 x 255 mm | 208 pgs | Hardback

€40

The Arturo Mercieca Court (1924-1940) A Legal Analysis The latest work by Professor Tonio Borg consists of a legal analysis of judgments delivered over a sixteen year period (1924-40) during which Sir Arturo Mercieca, a Maltese legal luminary, presided over the Court of Appeal as Chief Justice. The judgments cover a wide range of topics related to public law, such as the question whether a written constitution is supreme even though it does not contain a supremacy clause, the right of any citizen to file an action as to electoral matters and disputes without the need of proving personal interest, and the TUC Senators election saga which led not only to a declaration of invalidity of the election of such senators, but also a declaration that all laws passed on the strength of the votes of the two TUC senators were null.

The pride of place however, is taken up by the ultra vires cases, particularly Strickland v. Sammut where it was decided that after the suspension of selfgovernment, the British authorities could not legislate by Order in Council on non-reserved matters. Other subjects include the dual personality of the State doctrine, professional secrecy, and those relating to freedom of expression and the libel and sedition laws, where the Mercieca Court delivered some rather avant-garde decisions.

By Tonio Borg Specifications: 245 x 168 mm | 200 pgs | Paperback

€28

Ċajt minn fuq l-Ambone Mel’isma’ din! Ċajt minn fuq l-Ambone, Mel’isma’ din! jiġbor fih 250 ċajta li n-nies iħobbu jirrakkuntaw minn widna għal oħra u li ħafna drabi jasal f’verżjonijiet differenti imma dejjem bl-iskop li jġib tbissima jew li saħansitra jaqsmek bid-daħq.

Int u taqra dan iċ-ċajt żgur se tiftakar li xi darba jew oħra smajt xi wħud minnhom imma li forsi nsejthom. L-iskop ta’ dan il-ktieb, barra li jġib ittbissima fuq fommok, hu wkoll ta’ referenza tajba għalik meta tkun trid tirrakkonta xi erba’ ċajtiet tajbin mal-ħbieb f’mumenti rilassanti.

F’dan il-ktieb se ssib ċajt fuq l-annimali u l-għasafar, praspar tat-tfal innoċenti mal-ġenituri jew l-għalliema fil-klassi tal-iskola. Issib ċajt fuq l-imbierka kunjata li dejjem taqlagħha, fuq l-avukati, ċajt fuq il-qaddisin kif ukoll fuq il-papiet, l-isqfijiet, il-qassisin u s-sorijiet. Fl-aħħar issib ukoll xi praspar ħelwin mill-ħajja tal-awtur.

Il-ktieb fih ukoll numru ta’ karikaturi ispirati miċ-ċajtiet miġbura.

Awtur Fr Martin Micallef Illustrazzjonijiet Mark Schembri Specifications: 245 x 168 mm | 160 pgs | Hardback

€25

At the Margins Children, petty criminals, suicides and others in 19th century Malta and beyond At the Margins delves into the tragic, the unsavoury, the unusual aspects of Malta’s nineteenth century social history and beyond. As the title implies, the aim is to concentrate on those aspects which have been broadly ignored by historians: those at the margins of the larger picture.

The various chapters, accordingly, look into such aspects as suicide and infanticide; children’s death and ‘illicit’ pregnancies, arson, shootings and bombings. It further focuses on particular incidents of the period, ones that study the minutiae of daily life in Malta and Gozo’s peripheries. In so doing, it privileges Gozo, an island rich in a social history that has broadly been submerged and shrouded behind political and religious narratives. As regards Gozo, the book extends its chronological span in order to highlight the often-ignored footnotes in the island’s most important genealogical manuscripts. In line with the rest of the book, this section confirms that at the margins of history lie gems which we can only ignore at the risk of falsifying the past.

List of Chapters 1.

2.

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4.

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Bringing water to town: the Gozo aqueduct (1839-1843) Manwel Dimech: the man, the woman … and the cheque Death of the innocents: child deaths in Malta c. 1850-c.1911 Seeking release, forgoing life: suicide in Malta c. 1850s-1911 Exacting revenge, paying back, mere vindictiveness: burnings, shootings and bombings 6. Stealing God’s (and the saints’) money: theft from church and other holy places, 1835-1911 7. Killing her child: two nineteenth-century cases in infanticide in Gozo 8. Snippets from the past: a closer look at Guliana Masini (GM: National Archives, Gozo Branch) 9. The case of Gio Maria Falzon: Nadur, Gozo 1832 10. The Killer Cow: Qala, Gozo 1860 11. The woman and the priest: historical reflections 12. The pregnancy that wasn’t

By Michael Refalo Specifications: 245 x 168 mm | 370 pgs | Paperback

€35

Further and Higher Education in Malta Challenges, Perspectives, Solutions “Further and Higher Education in Malta is divided into two main sections that explore the current state and future of education in Malta. The first provides insights into innovative teaching methods, the gamification of curricula, and how online learning impacts students’ mental well-being and unlocks new horizons in higher education. The second section explores the dynamic interplay between students and educators.

This insightful book is a source of knowledge, offering a holistic and thought-provoking view of the Maltese educational landscape and the perspectives that shape its future. This book is essential reading for educators, policymakers, and anyone invested in the evolution of education in Malta and beyond.”

Prof. Joseph Giordmaina Head, Department of Education Studies University of Malta “It comes as no surprise that the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) was able to draw on a wealth of talent for its 10th anniversary publication. The breadth of content, from classroombased research to curriculum development, pedagogical innovation to philosophical reflections on learning, and the diversity of authorship, from teachers and lecturers through institutional leaders to professional academics, exemplifies the skills, energy, creativity, and determination of Maltese educators. The future of FHE in Malta is clearly in good hands.”

Dr Janet Harvey Senior Teaching Fellow Warwick University

Editors: Rose Anne Cuschieri, Aaron Aquilina, Adam Liwak Specifications: 245 x 168 mm | 300 pgs | Paperback

€30

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Antoine Camilleri A World Within Splendour & Devotion The Art Collections of the Order of St John Jacques François De Chambray The Order he served, the Island he loved, and the Fort he built Exposure Fragmented Sculptures on an Island Coast Malta Architecture and Spatial Planning Awards 2022 In Search of Line Enrique Tabone Għanja ta’ Ħabib The Aurturo Mercieca Court (1924-1940) A Legal Analysis Ċajt min fuq l-Ambone Mel’isma’ din!

At the Margins Children, petty criminals, suicides and others in 19th century Malta and beyond Further and Higher Education in Malta Challenges, Perspectives, Solutions

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