'Il-qabar tal-Kaj... u aktar'

Author: Trevor Żahra

Publisher: Merlin Publishers

Pages: 12

Merlin Publishers are delighted to announce the recent release of a new publication in the e•spresso literary collection: an ebook entitled Il-qabar tal-Kaj ... u aktar by veteran and much-loved author Trevor Żahra. This ebook opens a small window onto new literary work currently in the pipeline: an extensive collection of writings by this celebrated author that will be published in the coming months.

The e•spresso series was launched earlier this year and seeks to offer short books in digital format only, which can be read as quickly as it takes to drink a cup of coffee, and at a similar price too. This new initiative from Merlin Publishers offers Maltese readers a moment of literature in an accessible and convenient format that fits perfectly into today's busy lifestyle.

Il-qabar tal-Kaj ... u aktar offers four distinct pieces of writing - Il-qabar tal-Kaj, Ħajja ġdida, Enduring Love and Id-drama tat-terzetà - all entirely different from one another. They were selected from among hundreds of writings that Żahra created in a unique exercise of discipline and dedication: a full year during which he committed himself to writing something every single day, come what may, without any exception. The complete collection of these writings will be released in print format shortly, in a book entitled Pinzellati. About this creative experience, Żahra explains: "Whatever the circumstances, every day I switched on the computer and racked my brains to write. In the art of writing there is more discipline than muse; more firm resolve than inspiration."

Żahra also shares with us some thoughts about the four novellas in the ebook: "Although they are four distinct pieces of writing, there is a thread that somehow connects them: life's surprises; the mysterious paths our lives can take, many of which are the result of coincidence and circumstance. Il-Kaj wanted to choose the place where he would be buried, but life (or death) had other plans for him. We find the same in the other stories. But despite all this, sometimes life sends us certain indications that we tend to overlook ... as we find in the piece Enduring Love."

Żahra is a legendary writer and illustrator who has been enchanting and inspiring entire generations of Maltese people with the stories and characters he has been creating since the 1970s. Throughout his extraordinary career to date, he has written and illustrated over 130 books, spanning every type and genre, and aimed at readers of all ages. He has won the National Book Prize no fewer than 18 times, and several of his books have been translated and published in other languages and countries.

Il-qabar tal-Kaj ... u aktar not only offers a taste of what is to come in Pinzellati, but gives readers precisely what the e•spresso collection seeks to deliver: an intense taste of quality literature in a format that fits perfectly into today's lifestyle.

Like the other ebooks in this series, Il-qabar tal-Kaj ... u aktar is read through the Glassboxx app, which can be downloaded free of charge and has all the modern functionalities we have come to expect from digital reading apps.

'Il-qabar tal-Kaj ... u aktar' can be purchased from the Merlin Publishers website www.merlinpublishers.com/espresso/