Her one-month campaign was not enough for her to make it to Parliament from the third district, but Mary Muscat has so much to contribute to the country.
A former police inspector and a criminologist, Muscat tells us that she cannot live without her “daughter’s giggle”, prefers Italian food and loves winter.
What was the last book you read?
The Cheese and the Worms, by Carlo Ginzburg
Who is your favourite author?
Italo Calvino. As for Maltese authors, it’s Giovanni Bonello. I also like Mark Schembri for his caricatures and cartoonists, such as Steve Bonello and the Tanti Burlòs. As for academia, it’s Clive Emsley.
What was the last film you watched?
Paddington 2, with my daughter. It’s fun when you’re a Child Advocate and you keep up with kid’s fiction
Which film have you seen multiple times and enjoyed every time you saw it?
The Untouchables (1987)
Who is your favourite actor/actress?
Judy Dench
What is your favourite TV series?
BBC’s Coast
What is your favourite game or sport to watch and play?
Impossible! (BBC quiz)
Which team do you support?
Sirens waterpolo team
Which song would you sing at a karaoke night?
Probably Peppa Pig’s signature tune
Who is your favourite singer/band?
Michael W Smith (gospel)
Which show/event would you like to attend/have attended?
Any of Robyn Williams’ stand-up comedy
What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?
Painting gear
Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest?
Smell, unfortunately
What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
Kangaroo pie, in Hahndorf, South Australia
What is that one thing you could not go a day without?
My daughter’s giggle
Which fictional character do you relate to most?
Young Sheldon’s sister.
Do you check your horoscope?
No. Can’t stand New Age
What age would you choose if you could be one age forever?
35, but with the life experience of a 50-year-old
What invention would you erase from history?
Cigarettes
Would you like to know the day when you will die?
I’m not even curious
What's your favourite animal?
Ginger cats
What's your favourite type of foreign food?
Italian
What is your favourite hobby?
Stained glass work
What's your favourite season?
Winter
What's your favourite ice cream topping?
100% dark chocolate
What's your favourite board game?
Don’t have the patience for it
What is your favourite pizza?
Funghi
What is your favourite colour?
Cornflour blue
What is your favourite pasta dish?
None, I prefer Keto
What is your favourite cartoon show?
Miraculous Ladybug, which I watch with my daughter
What did you like to do most during the summer holidays?
Visiting my grandmother, ziju Debu, and meeting cousins in St Paul’s Bay
What career did you see yourself in when you were young?
Geography teacher.
What is your best childhood memory?
Portsmouth Primary School, September 1975. I was five years old and didn’t understand a word of English, so the teacher would just let me paint all day. I loved ‘talking’ to the other kids by signing. My twin brother so hated the experience that he ran away one day, without telling me about his plans. The Lollypop Lady chased him down the streets, out of breath, poor soul.
Did you learn how to ride a bike?
Yes, on my own
Who was your super hero?
Can’t stand any of them
Which toy do you wish to have kept?
I was a tomboy, I just loved to climb trees and rubble walls. I’d use any doll I got as a present as the goal post, planting it in the soil. My behaviour seriously worried my mum.
What subject did you excel in at school?
Geography, especially geomorphology
What subject did you dislike the most in school?
French, but only for the way it was taught
Was there some family tradition that was never missed?
My dad was a Navy cook. He’d prepare a five-course meal on Christmas, Easter, and Santa Marija. Massive portions and tasty food, enough to feed an aircraft carrier
What are the best values you owe to your parents?
My dad’s discussions on justice and equality in the mid-1980s. When Thatcher became Prime Minister, he’d tell me that I’ll be growing up in a world where more women would be in power, like the female navy officers he had worked with (WReNS). He also used to tell me to always back up my arguments with the right evidence. My mum gave me resilience and a sharp focus. To think that both only had primary school education (born 1933 and 1937), because the War.
What would you change about yourself if you could?
Being too early for appointments
What really makes you angry?
Narcissism
Is your glass half full or half empty?
If it's coffee, it’s always full
Are you a sore loser?
I over-analyse and ruminate instead
What is your biggest regret?
Coming back to Malta after living in England
What’s the first thing you look for in a partner and/or friend?
Depth of character, and their level of prejudice. They’re deal breakers.
What is your greatest fear?
Not understanding my daughter’s needs, or those of the children I advocate for
What is your life motto?
Know yourself
If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Narcissist repellent
What's one thing that can instantly make your day better?
A quite cafeteria
If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you do or buy?
On impulse, I’d replace my 12-year-old car with a small SUV or WAV. I’ll then leave work to focus on full-time writing.
If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?
Just four? That’s unfair!
If you could bring one person back from the dead who’d it be?
Dad
If you could time travel, when and where would you go?
At Lystra, Acts 14, where Apostle Paul healed the disabled. I’d take my daughter with me
If you could relive one moment in your life, which would it be?
Geography fieldwork with Miss Brincat at Villa Psaigon, Form IV
If you could live anywhere outside Malta, where would it be?
Scotland, probably Mid-Lothian. Or back to Portsmouth.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Grilled salmon
If you could know the truth behind a secret or mystery, which would it be?
How Samuel Taylor Coleridge shaped our justice system in the early 1800s, considering he was an opium addict
If you could eliminate one of the seven deadly sins, which one would it be?
I would add one more: hate
If you had to be given a superpower, what would you choose?
Healing
Coffee or tea?
Coffee
Walk or swim?
Both
Summer or winter?
Winter
Italy or England?
Both
Restaurant or delivery?
Restaurant
Early bird or night owl?
Night owl
Fish or meat?
Meat
Mobile phone or TV?
Both
Black or white?
Both
Film or TV series?
Both