Maltese poet and novelist Oliver Friggieri will be honoured with the Al Merito della Repubblica Italiana award.

Prof. Friggieri will be receiving the award from Italian Ambassador Luigi Marras, on behalf of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, for his long research on cultural relations between Malta and Italy.

The ceremony will take place on Friday at the Italian Cultural Institute in St George’s Square, Valletta, at 5.30pm and will be presided over by President George Abela.

Born in Floriana in 1947, Prof. Friggieri studied at the Seminary and at the University where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in Maltese, Italian and Philosophy.

In 1978, he acquired a Doctorate in Maltese Literature and Literary Criticism from the Catholic University of Milan, Italy.

He began his career in education in 1968, teaching Maltese and philosophy in secondary schools. Almost 10 years later, he moved to teaching Maltese at the University of Malta before he was appointed head of the Department of Maltese in 1988. He became professor in 1990.

Between 1970 and 1971, Prof. Friggieri was very active in Malta’s Literary Revival Movement, he co-founded Is-Sagħtar, a children’s literary and cultural magazine, and remained on its editorial board ever since. In 1971, he helped establish Klabb Kotba Maltin, which facilitated the publishing of books in Maltese and has been the editor of the Journal of Maltese Studies since 1980.

He published his autobiography, Fjuri li ma Jinxfux, four years ago.