Happy World Poetry Day! Poetry is a big part of Maltese literature and as many of us know, themes across the board are conveyed in our local poetry. We’ve picked out some poets that we think you should check out this World Poetry Day including some contemporary ones and obviously, some #klessik Qawsalla poets (if you don’t know what Qawsalla is, damn we’re old).

Dun Karm

When mentioning Maltese poetry and poets, one cannot forget Dun Karm who penned our National Anthem. Born in 1871, Psaila was also sometimes dubbed as ‘the bard of Malta.’ Fun fact: his early poetry was written in Italian but then started to write in Maltese from 1912 onwards.

Ruzar Briffa

For those who remember the Qawsalla days, three syllables: Jum ir-Rebh. *Shivers* Yup, Ruzar Briffa was another top poet that we had to study way back when. The poet and dermatologist was known as the poet “of smallness and simplicity” which truly shined in his poetry.

Oliver Friggeri

Oliver Friggieri is another great one to discover. He’s written a tonne, but a personal fave will always be Mur Orqod Binti, which harps on the importance of communication within the family. Unfortunately, Friggieri passed away late last year.

Anton Buttigieg

Yes, the second president of Malta penned a few of the greats too, one popular one being Niftakar. He married three times, and all three wives predeceased him. It’s no wonder his poetry is so deep. Just give it a read, you’ll know what we mean.

Mary Meilak

Mary Meilak is also one to check out. She holds a unique place in Maltese literary history as she is the first recorded local female poet. She was also the first woman to publish a collection of poetry. She has quite a lot of material, including a set of unpublished poems that detail her experiences during World War II. We’d love to get our hands on that!

Maria Grech Ganado

Maria Grech Ganado is actually a bilingual poet, having written in both our national languages, Maltese and English. Her English poems were published in prestigious journals in England and Australia. One of her most famous poems is Jum San Valentin which she dedicated to a lover who cheated on her that resulted in her suffering because of it. #Relatable.

Mario Azzopardi

Mario Azzopardi is considered to be one of the islands’ leading poets and a giant in the local theatre scene. The Qawsalla clan will definitely remember his poem Lullaby lil Yevgeny.

Karmenu Vassallo

Ah, Karmenu. He’s the one who made us wish we remained kids forever. He was a profound poet who delved into themes of childhood as well as pain and suffering.

Joe Friggieri

Joe Friggieri was a personal favourite whilst studying Maltese lit. Friggieri is very well known in the poetry scene as well as at the University of Malta, being a Professor of Philosophy. A personal favourite that was one of the first we’d ever learnt from the Qawsalla syllabus was L-Ghajn fil-Misrah. If you know, you know.

Gorg Pisani

Gorg Pisani is another to check out. He’s known for being a patriot, specifically towards Malta’s sister isle of Gozo. He wrote about various societal problems as well as history.