'Bilkemm Jitwemmnu! (It-Tieni Volum)'

Author: George Cremona

Publisher: Merlin Publishers / 2024

Pages: 208

Sometimes, the most incredible stories aren't found in newspaper headlines or buried in the pages of a novel, but are all around us, waiting for someone to notice them. Over the past few years, broadcaster and author George Cremona has dedicated himself to uncovering extraordinary stories from the lives of ordinary people around Malta and Gozo. Following the success of the first volume published last year, Merlin Publishers have now released Bilkemm Jitwemmnu! (It-Tieni Volum), the much-anticipated sequel to the first collection of captivating narratives.

In this second volume, Cremona presents another 51 stories that, as he writes in the preface, took him right back to his grandmother's arms, in front of her house. There, as a child, he was enthralled by her tales - Nanna Mari always said that every person has a barely believable story to tell - and now Cremona passes on that same storytelling magic to the listeners of his radio programmes and the readers of his books.

Cremona's fascinating journey into the stories of Maltese and Gozitan people, first aired on Calypso 101.8 FM through Ngħidu Kelma (2018-2020) and Vi jew Va? (2020-2023), serves as a time capsule full of colourful, sometimes surreal, but always compelling accounts from every corner of our islands. From the man who pulled an aeroplane 38 feet using just a rope, to the 79 years young University student, each tale is a tiny window into a life lived in unexpected ways.

Bilkemm Jitwemmnu! (It-Tieni Volum) is just as exciting and eccentric as the first. Stories include a woman who gave birth to eight children at home, "the Caveman" who lived in the famous Għar u Casa in Mellieħa, and several collectors who amass everything from newspaper cuttings to saints' statues to... wait for it - cockroaches!

Many of the stories also tap into nostalgia, rekindling fond memories of Malta's lost trades and traditions: the woman who sold blackberries from an old pram in Ħaż-Żabbar, the kerosene seller, the tinsmith and the farrier; the vibrant annual San Girgor celebrations, and the Rediffusion service that once echoed off the walls of every Maltese home. If you've ever heard stories about the Barrakka Lift or watched films in your local village cinema hall, prepare to be transported back to a time you may have almost forgotten.

Like its predecessor, Bilkemm Jitwemmnu! (It-Tieni Volum) is difficult to put down. The stories are short - each taking just a few minutes to read - and they are accompanied by colourful photos, many of which were provided by the protagonists themselves. You'll find that as soon as you finish one story, you'll be tempted to read "just the title" of the next. Soon enough you'll be hooked, unable to rest until you've consumed the entire story - and perhaps "just the title" of the next one.

Presented in an attractive format bound by a flexicover, the two Bilkemm Jitwemmnu! volumes make a perfect gift set.

Available to purchase from all bookshops or else online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com