Literature in the dock (1)

The state first moved against Mark Camilleri, the editor of the student newspaper Ir-Realtà, for publishing a piece of fiction entitled Li Tkisser Sewwi - deemed injurious to an adult readership. The state has now gone for the author of the story, Alex Vella Gera, because the explicit language used is apparently considered alien to the Maltese public and corrupts our morals.

The state must now prosecute all those who have read this controversial piece of literature, if only to maintain its credibility as the persecutor of free thought and expression.

In this respect, I confess that I have voluntarily read the complete story. Furthermore, in connection with the charge of "injuring public morals or decency", I am ready to take an affidavit confirming that, as a member of the public, I did not feel injured in any way after having read it.