Maltese literary expectations

Discussing the contemporary writing scene in Malta, Maria Grech Ganado says that never has there been so much literary ferment in the Maltese islands since the sixties. From LauraHird.com:

..The sixties had broken with the themes and influence of the first wave of national, religious and sentimental love, to replace it with a political and existential one which addressed these themes from a confrontational perspective.

There were exceptions in both waves, of course, but the major names which have lived on or been revived are those of Gwann Mamo, Dun Karm Psaila (the national poet), Ruzar Briffa, George Pisani, Anton Buttigieg, Mary Meilak, Marjanu Vella – and for the second wave, Oliver Friggieri, Joe Friggieri, Mario Azzopardi, Daniel Massa, Doreen Micallef, Victor Fenech, Trevor Zahra, Achille Mizzi and, if I were to cover theatre which I am not going to do, Frans Ebejer.

Many of these last named don’t write anymore – or have moved to a different form of artistic expression. However, there is a growing number of young Maltese who have already made a name for themselves, despite the fact that it is extremely difficult for new writers to have prose published, and virtually impossible when they write poetry.