'Ittri mqarbin noti safjin'

Author: Tyrone Grima

Publisher: Merlin Publishers / 2026

Pages: 192

Two brothers: one is a Benedictine monk, the other a gay porn actor. The letters they exchange are the starting point of Tyrone Grima's new novel for adult readers, Ittri mqarbin noti safjin, recently published by Merlin Publishers.

In this queer literary work, Grima dares to draw together two worlds often regarded as opposed and irreconcilable: the sacred and the profane. Yet both are, in truth, different facets of the same human experience - two sides of the same person.

Ittri mqarbin noti safjin tells the story of Leo, who has always dreamed of becoming a gay porn star. When he moves to a city that offers opportunities in the industry, he manages to secure a contract with a well-known company. His brother Stephen, meanwhile, is a Benedictine monk whose life revolves around prayer and service to the community. The brothers have been estranged for years, but when they begin writing to each other again, their letters gradually reveal what lies beneath the surface of their respective lives.

Their correspondence opens a window onto two very different experiences that may not be as far apart as they first appear. Leo speaks candidly about his new career and the people he encounters, while Stephen shares his experiences at the monastery, including his relationship with Monika, a woman who is experiencing supernatural phenomena. Between frank confessions and moments of humour, the letters become a space in which the boundaries between the cravings of the body and the concerns of the soul begin to blur. As the novel unfolds, unexpected revelations emerge, surprising readers and inviting them to reconsider everything from a different perspective.

Grima teaches Performing Arts at MCAST and is actively involved in the theatre scene. His interests include queer literature and theatre, as well as the relationship between spirituality and art. His novel Frammenti, also published by Merlin Publishers, won the National Book Prize.

For Grima, the tension between sexuality and spirituality is not merely a literary theme, but a personal experience. "For me, this novel is a fantastic journey that ultimately addresses something very important for human beings: the integration of the sexual and the spiritual. For a very long time - and perhaps to this day - they were kept apart, and that separation created a great deal of tension," he explains. As an LGBT person and a practising Catholic, Grima admits that this tension caused him to suffer when he was younger, but with a lot of help he found a way to reconcile the two without denying who he was or compromising either. "I believe, though, that beyond the psychological framework, this novel should also offer readers an intriguing experience, which is ultimately the role of literature."

Equally intriguing is the book's cover, designed by artist Pierre Portelli. Against an intense yellow background, the reader is met by an image of arms and fabric entwined in a dynamic embrace which, in keeping with the novel's subject, makes it impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins.

Ittri mqarbin noti safjin is a novel that looks beyond simple definitions and easy answers, inviting readers to reflect on the price a person pays when they cannot open up, to their brothers and to themselves, about what they truly feel and experience.

'Ittri mqarbin noti safjin' is available from all bookshops or online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com