One of Malta's prolific early writers of literature has passed away at the mature age of almost 92 years (his next birthday would have been on August 11).

A writer of the realism genre, Guzè Chetcuti has brought to life, in prose and theatre formats, the Maltese population's life as experienced by the common and working classes, especially during the times he was brought up in Cospicua in the early 20th century. His classic drama Il-Kerrejja, first shown at the Manoel Theatre in 1963, the reality novel L-Isqaq in 1962 (translated to English by Maud Ruston and titled An Alley in Malta) and 1919, highlighting the incidents that led to the rising of the people in the epoch of the early history of the Maltese constitution, gave us a Dickensian outlook to nationalistic events. Most of his early literary passages did not only convey the emotions and upheavals of the everyday life of the common folk but also managed to include hundreds of detailed descriptions of long forgotten items of folklore such as il-kenur or children's street games, such as il-faraboj.

Mr Chetcuti belonged to the first group of Maltese writers who pioneered Maltese literature in difficult times and established himself as a teacher of Maltese at the Lyceum in Malta where he promoted the love of the Maltese language and encouraged scores of young students, like myself, to appreciate and write our native language with quality and style.

He was a versatile author of poetry and prose. His patriotic and nationalistic feelings towards his mother country inspired his early works, which have all been published and collected in various anthologies. Guzè Aquilina had recognised his special poetic timbre as that of L-Ghanja tal-Familja. His works have been read and enjoyed by thousands of students over many years as they were always present in textbooks of Maltese teaching.

Like many of his generation Mr Chetcuti was a chronicler of World War II, having written numerous poems and the well-known novel Id-Dawl tal-Hajja. In the 1940s, Mr Chetcuti was also living the war as a pioneer broadcaster on the island, reading newsreels at the time consisting mostly of war updates. In his attempt to offer different genres of writings in Maltese, Mr Chetcuti also became an author of thrilling dramatic intrigue with an innovative series of plots and subplots that gave us a psychological whodunnit Nirien ta' Mhabba, which was recently produced by Audiovision as a television series for TVM.

Mr Chetcuti impressed all those who knew him, as an industrious writer, having completed his autobiography with a collection of memories, writings and anecdotes only a couple of years ago (Hajti: Mill-bidu sa qrib it-tmiem, 2003).

Until a few days before he died, as his daughter Josephine informs me, he was working on a translation of some works by Dante.

The last time I interviewed Mr Chetcuti for television, before the screening of the series Nirien ta' Mhabba, he was nearing his 90s. He was still following a schedule of writing by sitting at his word processor for several hours a day with the same determination he had when he created so many real life stories in earlier years.

His calm and reserved approach never betrayed the distinguished aspect with which he dedicated time to those who wanted to meet him especially if the topic of discussion involved Maltese literature. From his balcony at Ghar id-Dud, in Sliema, where he lived his many last years surrounded by his wife and family, Mr Chetcuti, with that typical benign smile of his, pondered on the changing patterns of life in Malta and in his never ending ability to create I felt he was inspired by the high waves hitting the shores of Qui-Si-Sana as if summoning all Maltese lovers to the written word.

While treasuring most of his books, personally signed as "qarib" (he was my mother's first cousin), it is my pleasure to take this opportunity to pay homage to one of our pioneers who knew how to wade his strong creative pen through the sensitive waters of a past history that represented the survival struggle of that fibre of Maltese society which he managed to describe and bring to life in photographic detail.

Mr Chetcuti's works won several competitive awards and received distinguished recognition.

May his soul rest in peace and may his memory stay long among us.