I have been listening to to Francis Ebejer’s novel on Campus FM Requiem for a Malta Fascist. It is translated into Maltese by Charles Briffa. Doubtless, Briffa has done a professional job but he will be the first to agree that however good the translation, there is always a loss of literary value in translations.

In any case, why must everything be translated into Maltese? Are we not always boasting we Maltese are bilingual and some even say trilingual?

Besides, Ebejer wrote all his novels in English. That great man was the greatest exponent of the English language for someone who used English as a second language. In all his novels, comparisons can be favourably made with the works of Joseph Conrad, Evelyn Waugh and Somerset Maugham.

Why must we always be so inward looking in all the subjects we choose to broadcast?

It seems we must always look back and just talk about ourselves and gloat over our achievements, all in Maltese of course.

Are the broadcasters afraid of being more adventureous by producing more programmes in English, which is now unarguably the lingua franca of the world?

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