Another in a series of extremely strong offerings in a new wave of exciting Maltese literature is the debut novel of thirty-something lawyer Philip M. Magri: Il-Poeta, published by Merlin Publishers, writes Colin Fitz.

Although Magri is a lawyer, the writing couldn't be farther from the 'lawyer' tone. This beautifully crafted debut novel is a period piece of sorts – an exquisitely written, poetic story about a non-conformist author living at the tail-end of the ’50s in Malta.

In the background are the political rumblings of a conservative country starting to feel the strains of a division between politics and religion in daily life. In the foreground is a love triangle that explores obsession, sensuality and intense feelings. It has the sensitivities and rhythm of a novel of old, with the powerful emotions and musicality of cutting-edge contemporary literature. It seems to me that in Il-Poeta, Magri has laid the groundwork for a brilliant future in Maltese literature.

The novel’s central character, the unnamed poet, is a sensitive, left-leaning, verse-scribbling young man living in a straitlaced society, overshadowed by a colonial regime, which is starting to experience political and social boat-rocking. Some aspects of that life may still feel somewhat familiar to some.

He moves in the semi-underground circles of young bohemians who loved to read 'subversive' books and watch non-mainstream movies, and he moves out of the family home to the horror of his conservative (as 99 per cent of parents were at the time) parents.

Meanwhile, things start hotting up in Malta politically, with anti-colonial tensions at the fore, and the Poet is involved in the 1958 riots that lead him to become a fugitive from the police.

“I knew there were a multitude of books and films about the student-led protests of May 1968, such as the ant-Vietnam War demonstrations in the US, the French uprisings… and I found myself asking: ‘Was there a similar episode in Malta?’ And the closest equivalent when young people took to the streets in this particular way was the 1958 riots episode, where most of the participants, apart from politicians, were young people. And I was inspired by that. I felt it was time to write something set in that particular time, as an ideal background for what I wanted to explore,” explained Magri when I asked him about why he chose that particular setting for his debut.

“I carried out a lot of research into newspapers, books and photos from the time went into the novel’s creation,” he went on. “I even needed to see what contemporary political parties have to say about that time. I obviously wasn’t involved in those episodes myself, and knew nothing about them not even through history lessons.”

He stopped there, but I get the feeling that he sees this situation, surely shared by the majority of young people today, as a damning indictment of our nation’s claims to maturity. One of the things he gives me the impression of not being happy with is that we have not been able to look objectively at our recent past and form a cohesive narrative that all can share. I definitely think this myself… but perhaps books such as this one will help shed some unbiased light on this mysterious era and prompt young people to do their own research into how Malta developed into what it is today, rather than rely on heavily filtered, personal and fragmented interpretations. Furthermore, other traits of the novel may lead readers to ask questions about other aspects of our society today that have not really come of age. I don’t think I need to mention them here – they will become clear further on, or, better still, read the novel.

“I tried to imagine how a 20-year-old would feel living in those times, with the massive influence of Dom Mintoff, that of a foreign military presence overshadowing everything. Meanwhile, post-World War Two family tensions are starting to develop as young people are starting to find a voice and see things with their own eyes. Then I compressed some of my own feelings, experiences and even doubts into each and every one of the characters that are depicted in that situation,” Magri added. “There is an autobiographical strand, but is not so much in the plot but in the feelings and beliefs of the characters. There’s a part of me in each and every character.”

In the process of his somewhat non-conformist lifestyle, the main character becomes involved in a love triangle featuring Nina, a ‘loose’-but-not-quite Strada Stretta-working girl, and an ambiguous crush on his male best friend Anton, a lawyer. An element of class tension and hypocrisy masquerading as religious respectability is also a strand that Magri explores.

The Poet’s unresolved bisexuality may be quite a new subject in contemporary Maltese literature. In Il-Poeta, the homosexuality, or unresolved issues, of the protagonist, are not the main focus of the novel, but hardly a chapter goes by without the poet pining for Anton or referring to a love inside him that dare not make itself public.

Having said that, this is simply one of the strands in a multi-layered novel that I don’t think qualifies it for that international niche known as Gay Literature, and the author was adamant that he did not want to label his work as such. “I hate labeling and pigeon-holing,” Magri stressed.

“My idea was to feature a main character with strong political beliefs, but who is, at the same time, not completely outside of society’s norms, as is often depicted in certain strands of classic Maltese literature that deal with similar issues – a struggle against conformism and traditionalism. He has friends, he has people he loves, he has work, albeit he’s being pushed away from his family for political and other reasons… but he’s not an anti-social, crazy kind of character such as sometimes depicted by, for example, Oliver Friggieri or Guzé Ellul Mercer.

“I wanted to continue with the traditions of Maltese literature, which I studied at University on the way to becoming a lawyer, but I was also aware that the boundaries needed to be pushed further,” Magri explained.

“I was aware that there is a strain of Maltese literature that is strictly historical, and a more psychological-leaning one that is more recent. When preparing to write my novel I said I would knock these two together and create something which has a modern taste, contemporary feel, but at the same time is historical.”

Other inspirations for this novel according to Magri were French cinema techniques, and the novel Jacob’s Room by Virginia Woolf, which deals with a person’s a coming of age.

“I wanted to paint a picture of youth in a state of revolt and the formation of their identity through an exploration of their political, sexual, religious, emotional and creative beliefs, while creating a parallel between character’s personal formation and the pains undergone during the formation of a nation.”

Magri feels that despite being set in the past, this novel may resonate with young people today and hopefully lead them to ask their own questions while their own identity is being forged.

“I am currently working on a University Master’s thesis on the legal aspects of cohabitation, a topic that this country is exploring at the moment. This is one among many other items that perhaps we still haven’t come to terms with since the time the novel is set in. I believe there are many questions about ourselves that need to be confronted, especially when we consider our membership of a European bloc that stands for certain ideals, some of which our nation may not conform with.

“Above all, like in the novel, I wish to see more active participation of young people in the construction of their own future.”

Philip M. Magri Biography

Philip M. Magri was born in Haz-Zebbug in 1979. He received his education at De La Salle College and graduated as a lawyer from the University of Malta in 2003. In 2004 he graduated with a Masters in Financial Services and has since been an associate with an established law firm in Valletta, specialising in civil law and litigation. He is currently finalising his Master of Philosophy in Law with a thesis concerning the law regulating cohabitation in Malta. In his spare time he reads and writes on subjects other than law. Published by Merlin Publishers, Il-Poeta is his first novel.

Hometown: Haz-Zebbug

Education: De La Salle College; University of Malta

Occupation: Lawyer

Hobbies: French cinema

Favourite book: Jacob’s Room by Virginia Woolf

Favourite films: Berardo Bertolucci

Music: Radiohead, Björk, PJ Harvey, Air, Cat Power

Favourite trip: London

Il-Poeta by Philip M. Magri is available from Merlin Publishers and from all good book shops. Details from www.merlinpublishers.com or www.facebook.com/merlinpublishers