Acclaimed Spanish writer to give workshops

Acclaimed critic, poet and novelist Miro Villar, of Galicia, Spain, will be in Malta next week to give a number of creative writing workshops, and to take part in a public forum and literary performances.

Villar is the winner of a number of international literary prizes, including the first edition of the Tivoli Prize for Young European Poets for 1998; he was a finalist in 1999. His poetry has been translated into 10 languages.

Villar has years of experience as a writing tutor and he has developed a number of tasks designed to help both the budding and the experienced writer to improve their skills.

The first two writing workshops will be held at St James Cavalier on August 28, between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., and between 7 and 9.30 p.m.; the third workshop will be held on August 31, between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

Each workshop costs Lm4; however, the cost for those who attend all three workshops is Lm10. Participants must be at least 18 years old but need not have any writing experience.

On August 29 at 8.30 p.m. at Couvre Porte in Vittoriosa, Villar, literary critic Adrian Grima and anthropologist Mark-Anthony Falzon will be the main speakers at a public forum on the cosmopolitan and urban aspects of the Maltese identity.

The evening also features the presentation of unpublished works by some of Malta's best writers, including Victor Fenech, Henry Holland, Immanuel Mifsud, Gorg Peresso, Leslie Vassallo, Karen Vella, and others.

The following day, August 30, at the same time and place, a second set of literary works will be presented.

The evening will feature acclaimed saxophonist Joseph Vella, while actors Romina Cachia, Ray Calleja, and Marcelle Teuma, musicians Jonathan Grima and Vince Fabri, and artists Savio Deguara and William Azzopardi will present works by Stanley Borg, Norbert Bugeja, Maria Grech Ganado, Adrian Grima, and Simone Inguanez.

Villar will present a series of poems dealing with cities and myths together with slides by Galician photographer Xan Muras. This presentation of unpublished works is called "Diapoesia".

During both evenings, the volunteers of the fair trade shop L-Arka of St Paul's Street, Valletta, will be selling a wide range of CDs of music from all over the world. Entrance to both evenings is free and wine and food will be on sale.

Villar has been invited to Malta by Inizjamed in collaboration with NSTS, Bay Street Hotel, the Parliamentary Secretariat in the Ministry of Education, L-Arka, and the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity.

Further information may be obtained by e-mail at inizjamed@maltaforum.org or phone 7959 5290 or 2137 6941. http://inizjamed.cjb.net.