TrevorŻahra

1.

Biography

Author, teacher and playwright Trevor Żahra, born in 1947, is arguably the only Maltese writer who can bear the brand of ‘household name’, having written some 130 books that span a rich array of genres and formats, and appeal to all age groups, ever since the publication of his 1971 adventure tale Il-Pulena tad-Deheb.

Jump to bibliography

Having cut his teeth as an educator and broadcaster, Żahra then published his first poetry collection, Eden in 1972, though his poetic works had previously appeared in magazines such as Children’s Own and Il-Berqa. Apart from his creative works, Żahra also published the first Maltese workbooks for young students, securing his position as an advocate and beacon for the national language.

Though his spate of works for younger readers suggests an effortlessness of output, poignancy and pain are hardly ever out of the author’s purview. His moving memoir detailing the loss of his beloved wife Stella, Stella, Jien u Hu (Merlin Publishers, 1990) is a case in point, as is, to a far jauntier degree, the bestselling Il-Ħajja Sigrieta tan-Nanna Ġenoveffa (The Secret Life of Nanna Genoveffa, Merlin Publishers, 2008). The latter melds a plethora of the author’s talents: marinated in the nostalgia for a past Malta whose colonial and clerical trappings are appropriated for their aesthetic and confectional value, the slim novel can now be read as a sex-positive fictional biography that joyfully expresses feminine erotic desire. That universal underpinning – aided along by the specifics of its period setting and a melancholy edge that prevents it from dovetailing into triviality – is arguably what helped it find eager translators on both page and stage: Ġenoveffa has been published in English, French, Russian and Norwegian, and its theatrical adaptation – written by Żahra himself and produced by Unifaun Theatre with Marta Vella in the title role – opened (and closed) to packed houses in 2013.

And the raunchiness that’s filtered through nostalgic sepia tones in Ġenoveffa comes through even more explicitly in Żahra’s other collaboration with Unifaun Theatre, Minn Wara ż-Żipp (2014), which indulges in a frank and hilarious examination of (Maltese) male sexual mores. Meanwhile, his 2018 theatrical foray Il-Madonna Tiegħi Aħjar Minn Tiegħek – a musical produced under the auspices of Teatru Malta – further cemented Żahra’s position as the island’s foremost storyteller, tapping into the raucous religious tribalism of Malta’s village feasts and their band clubs.

Now retired as a teacher, Żahra continues to dedicate himself to his literary work on a full-time basis, having consolidated his long and fruitful relationship with Merlin Publishers with a regular series of short story collections and anthologies from 2010 onwards.

Trevor Żahra has been awarded the National Book Prize eighteen times over, and was in 2004 granted the Medal of Merit by the President of the Republic. He was also named the Johnnie Walker Man of the Year in the Arts and Entertainment category in 2008, and was awarded the Gold Medal by the Academy of Arts (2012) and Ġieħ l-Akkademja by the Akkademja tal-Malti (2018).

Written by Teodor Reljić

2.

Bibliography

Serje ta’ kotba ta’ Ġiġi

A series of Ġiġi books (Bubbles)
Picture book
Maltese
Translator
Trevor Żahra
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Serje ta’ ħrejjef tradizzjonali (Ladybird)

A series of traditional tales (Ladybird)
Picture book
Maltese
Translator
Trevor Żahra
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Trid niktbu storja flimkien?

Prose
Maltese
Author
Illustrator
Nadine Debattista Briffa
Publisher
Merlin Publishers

Żraben

Prose
Maltese
Author
Illustrator
Trevor Żahra
Publisher
Merlin Publishers

Sjesta

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers

Ejja Nsajru Poeżija

Poetry
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers & Aġenzija Nazzjonali tal-Litteriżmu

Sempreviva

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Ħadd ma Jista’ Jisgħol jew Jagħtas fil-Pubbliku

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Misteru tas-Sur Spir Spiteri

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Iva, nasal!

A series of five books
Picture book
Maltese
Author
Translator
Trevor Żahra
Illustrator
Cristina Losantos
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Xagħret Mewwija

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
Joseph GaleaCarlos Farrugia
Production
Joseph Galea & Carlos Farrugia

365

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Xemgħat

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Le Parfum des œillets et autres nouvelles maltaises

Prose
French
Author
Translator
Roland ViardAlbert Gatt
Publisher
L’Harmattan, France

Tnemmis

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
Joseph Galea
Production
Joseph Galea

Stampakelma

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Aċċù!

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Translator
Trevor Żahra
Illustrator
Andrea Castellani
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Bizzilla

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta
Related titles

Il-mitt fehma tal-Kav. John Giordimaina

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
Josette Ciappara
Production
Unifaun Theatre

Il-Ġenn li jżommni f'sikkti

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta.

Tqasqis

Poetry
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Vespri

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta
Related titles

Vespers

Prose
English
Author
Translator
Clare Vassallo
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Quand vient la fin du jour

Prose
French
Author
Translator
Roland ViardClare Vassallo
Publisher
L’Harmattan, France

Ħadd ma Jista’ Jsaltan jew Jieħu Tron li Mhux Tiegħu

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Ħadd ma Jista’ Jkanta jew Idoqq Strumenti tal-Banda

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Ħrejjef Kollha ta’ Wied Peprina

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Penumbra

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta
Related titles

Min hi?

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
Ruben Zahra
Production
Teatru Malta

Gerita

in “Transcript 38”
Prose
English
Author
Translator
Albert Gatt
Publisher
Transcript Review, UK

Ħadd ma Jista’ Jidħak jew Jiekol Pastizzi tal-Piżelli

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Prinċipessa

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Xi Jħobb Jiekol id-Dragun

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

"Il-Ħamsa u Erbgħin"

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers

Paroli

Poetry
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Ħajja Sigrieta tan-Nanna Ġenoveffa

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta
Related titles

Nanna Ġenoveffas hemmelige liv

Prose
Norwegian
Author
Translator
Kristina Quintano
Publisher
Solum/Bokvennen Forlag, Norway

Тайная жизнь бабушки Женовеффы

Prose
Russian
Author
Translator
Yana Psaila
Publisher
Khudozhestvennaya Literatura, Russia

La vie secrète de Mamie Ġenoveffa

Prose
French
Author
Translator
Roland Viard
Publisher
L’Harmattan, France

The Secret Life of Nanna Ġenoveffa

Prose
English
Author
Translator
Rose Marie Caruana
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Minn wara ż-Żipp

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
Chris Gatt
Production
Unifaun Theatre

Sepja

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Sħab

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Krispella

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Kemm Naf Inpinġi

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Ojnk-Ojnk

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Kieku kieku

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Sfidi

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta
Related titles

вызовы

Prose
Russian
Author
Translator
Yana Psaila
Publisher
Khudozhestvennaya Literatura, Russia

Mota f’ġieħ kemm hemm

Poetry
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

X’Tixtiequ Jagħmel il-Fenek

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Minċott Ħajt Iswed

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Żveljarin

Poetry
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Koronata Traskurata

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Passiġġata

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Borma Minestra

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Mar id-Dawl

Picture book
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Provenz

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Lubien

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Fuklar Qadim u Bnadar Imċarrta

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Ħanut tal-Ħelu

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
Carmel S. Aquilina
Production
Manoel Theatre & Kumpanija Koperatturi

Is-Seba’ Tronġiet Mewwija

Prose
Maltese
Author
Awards
Winner of the Malta National Book Prize
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Stella, Jien u Hu

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Ħolm tal-Milied?

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Ktieb tal-Fenek l-Aħmar

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Qrempuċu f'Belt il-Ġobon

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Praspar Kollha ta' Kunċett u Marinton

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Miraklu tal-Ġiżirana

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

It-8 Kontinent

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Meta Jaqa' ċ-Ċpar

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

15-il numru

15 numbers
Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta.

Villa Siko-Sao

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Ħdejn in-Nixxiegħa

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Taħt il-Weraq tal-Palm

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Qamar Aħdar

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Kaxxa taz-Ziju

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Dwal fil-Fortizza

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Is-Surmast

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Klabb Kotba Maltin, Malta
Related titles

Is-Surmast

Theatre script
Maltese
Author
Director
John Suda
Production
Unifaun Theatre

Il-Għar tax-Xelter

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta

Il-Pulena tad-Deheb

Prose
Maltese
Author
Publisher
Merlin Publishers, Malta
Supported by

Arts Council Malta

Creative Industries Platform

Project co-ordinator: Clare Azzopardi

With the help of: Kirsty Azzopardi, Leanne Ellul and Albert Gatt

Proofreader: Dwayne Ellul

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