With the use of the Maltese language being stressed more than ever (at least that is my impression) and a proliferation of books in Maltese, especially for children, it was an excellent idea to translate Daniel Rondeau's book, Malta Hanina, from the original in French. The translation, by Professor Anthony Aquilina, is published by Faraxa publishing.
The Maltese version was launched during the Book Festival but much to our disappointment M. Rondeau did not turn up. He had had an accident on the way to the airport and simply could not make it.
Nevertheless it was a soirée of interest with the present energetic ambassador presiding. Excerpts were read and songs were sung and Prof. Aquilina and Dr Charles Xuereb presented their views on the book.
Malta Hanina was translated with the financial support of The Malta Book Council. The original, in French, was first published by Éditions Grasset in January 2012.
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M. Rondeau and his wife Noelle spent three very active years in Malta in his capacity of ambassador of France to Malta (2008 to 2011). It was his first appointment in the diplomatic corps. He was afterwards appointed French ambassador to Unesco in Paris, where he is now representing the United Nations University think-tank. He has received so many literary prizes none of which I am not going to list here. M. Rondeau did so much to strengthen our relationship with France and the French. I was one of the lucky ones invited to receptions, dinners and events to meet writers, singers, entrepreneurs and so many personalities whom he managed to convince to visit our island. It was impossible to keep up.
In his review that evening, Charles Xuereb commented: "Haz-Zebbug shared so much Champagne, the author's region of residence in France, not only through the glittering glasses of the celebratory French drink but also through the flavour of so many distinguished visitors, intellectuals and entrepreneurs." So very true. Noelle was such a wonderful and elegant hostess, too.
Daniel Rondeau is also a prolific writer, editor, journalist and an expert on the Mediterranean and it would have been a pity had he not kept notes and written this excellent book of reminiscences and observations about Malta tying it with the past.
I hope my compatriots will stop watching tele-novellas, (in which everyone looks unhappy, on the brink of some disaster and busy plotting and sub-plotting someone's downfall), and read this book instead and indeed many others. The break from all that misery on television will do them good.
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To quote Dr Charles Xuereb who sat on the panel that evening: "Toni Aquilina, an academic and professional translator specializing in bringing into Maltese French literary classics, did more than justice to Malta Ħanina; one could say that he rendered Rondeau's performance even more 'generous' in a style that could well ennoble Maltese literature."
The colours of Malta have always impressed visitors and the Rondeaus appreciated our clear blue waters and sky blues above and the gold of our stone no less. They swam at Ghar Lapsi and visited Gozo. On occasion they still bring their grandchildren for a holiday to our sister island.
They loved people and this was obvious in their dealings with them. They embraced the Maltese and in turn, we embraced them too.
In his final paragraph Charles Xuereb congratulates Prof. Aquilina for "achieving an excellent translation; reading the Maltese version not only enables the reader to meet Rondeau with the same verve as in the original French, it allows him/her to indulge in a piece of literature in Maltese that enhances the original."
Guests then went to the French stand of the Librairie 'La Boucherie' Paris, the bookshop situated in the Paris Latin quarter and which participated in the Malta Book Festival for the third year, and Her Excellency the ambassador of France to Malta, accompanied by the Cultural attaché, M. Laurent Croset, toasted (with Champagne naturally) the Maltese translation of Malta Hanina.
Daniel and Noelle were very much missed.