Set the scene.
The Franciscan friar Marjanu Vella was born in Sliema in 1927. He taught Maltese and Italian and published poems in literary journals.
Here’s the twist.
His collections included Ġiżimin Aħmar in 1958 and Dgħajjes tal-Karti in 1969. Biblical stories and religious experience shaped much of his writing.
Why it still matters.
Silence, suffering and the search for meaning recur in his poems. Start with a title: what expectations does an ordinary object such as a paper boat create?
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.