Photographer Jacob Sammut and poet Miriam Calleja have come together for the first time to collaborate on a project which aims to capture the essence of the majestic city that is Birgu (Vittoriosa).

Birgu - Will you remember? is the result of their collaboration - an exhibition which will combine sets of their photographs and poems in the beautifully renovated Auberge de France in Birgu itself.

"Living in a country rich in history, I think it is part of our identity to know our roots and respect them," says Ms Calleja. "The Maltese population is divided between the forward-looking and the past-clutching, but we are rarely lacking in pride. This is made very apparent with the constant 'Go back to your country' comments, but that is another story for another day. In a nutshell, we don't have much, but we are hard-working and had to fight to get here... and that is a story worth preserving."

Ms Calleja, who recently published a book of poetry called Pomegranate Heart, says that there are elements in the way Mr Sammut works, and the type of photos he takes, that are in synch with her poetry.

"We didn't know this at first when we started discussing the possibility of doing a project together almost a year ago. The idea of preserving memories and moments was in the air almost immediately, and Birgu seemed like one of the more obvious places to start," she explains. "In a way these particular photographs are close to my style of poetry, in that they are capturing a moment. Poetry can touch people in different ways, help them connect and open up. This encouraged me to keep using my poetry to include more people, perhaps even those who often view poetry as an archaic form of art."

According to Mr Sammut, the exhibition should be of great interest to many people - be they from Birgu, other cities, or even from other countries.

"This is a unique opportunity to see 'intimate' moments in Birgu - moments that people would otherwise never see, or they would not take notice of. We have captured a Birgu going through changes. I want to record life for future generations to see."

Birgu - Will you remember? is being organised in collaboration with the Birgu Local Council and Ede Books.

The exhibition will be launched on 20 July in the foyer of Auberge de France in Hilda Tabone Street, Birgu and may be viewed thereafter during the Birgu local council's opening hours until 3 August. The opening hours are from Monday to Friday from 8am to 12.30pm and 1.15 to 4.45pm; Saturday from 8am to 12pm.