'It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri'

Author: Noah Fabri

Publisher: Merlin Publishers / 2024

Pages: 336

In the quiet streets of Ħamrun and Marsa, during the height of the Covid pandemic, the scent of cooking from all corners of the world mingles with the distant echoes of music. There, at that particular time, the simple act of sharing a meal could forge friendships, kindle dreams and shape identities, all left to simmer as the world awaited reopening.

Against the backdrop of a pandemic that redefined our sense of community and belonging, a new story emerges - one that captures the raw emotions of intimacy, distance, anxiety and the yearning for something just out of reach. This story unfolds in It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri, the debut novel by Noah Fabri, recently released by Merlin Publishers.

It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri follows Eli and Leo as they navigate the ebb and flow of their lives and relationships in the quiet, eerie streets of Ħamrun and Marsa. They are friends and colleagues, sharing an apartment during the winter lockdown, while the bar where they both work remains closed. Eli befriends Eiro, a kind but enigmatic soul who longs to be cared for, and Faye, a musician and postwoman balancing her family's health struggles. Meanwhile, Leo listens to music, frets, and watches as Eli slowly drifts away from her. While the world outside seems frozen and uncertain, inside, emotions are bubbling beneath the surface, and when summer arrives, they boil over in a sticky, sweaty explosion of uncomfortable truths.

Fabri has a background in anthropology and is a multidisciplinary artist active in music, prose and theatre. Their evocative writings, first featured in the first Praspar Press anthology and in the literary journal Aphroconfuso, have garnered attention for the cinematic portrayal of everyday life and for bringing out the magic hidden in ordinary moments.

Speaking about his inspiration for the novel, Fabri said: "It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri began with my wish to tell the story of a friendship rooted in the streets of Ħamrun and Marsa. But then I realised that to write this story I also needed to write about music and cooking, and to ask broader questions about how we find our place in society. As I wrote I wanted to capture the rhythms of daily life - the way friendships unfold over time leading to the small and big events that mark our lives."

Praised for its authentic depiction of life in lockdown, It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri has been hailed by renowned author Loranne Vella as a novel that "takes us back to the first year of the pandemic and leaves us stranded there, in the empty streets and shuttered shops of Ħamrun, with the smell of cooking spices wafting out of windows, mixed with worries about precarious jobs, money, friendships, relationships, identity and citizenship; about how and who we might become once the world opens up again". Vella also noted that although - just three years down the line - we are already considering the pandemic as a thing of the past, It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri feels remarkably current for its deep, introspective look at life in Malta, making it an excellent example of contemporary Maltese literature.

It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri  is a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, examining how connections can strengthen even in the most uncertain times. With its rich characters and vivid sense of place, this novel will resonate with anyone who has ever felt out of step with the world, yet continues to seek and affirm their own rhythm. This novel is also an important acquisition for the Maltese queer literature shelf, as it offers a nuanced look at how characters navigate love, identity and community within the broader context of a changing world, while continuing to question and explore societal norms vis-à-vis individual realities.

It-Togħma morra taċ-ċiċri is now available for purchase in local bookshops and online from www.merlinpublishers.com