Josef Camilleri might have no O levels to his name but his knowledge of chemistry puts the majority of the island to shame.
The 58-year-old is the licensee of the St Mary Fireworks Factory in Mqabba and responsible for helping to create one of the island’s most dazzling pyrotechnic displays for tomorrow’s Santa Marija feast.
Mr Camilleri remembers giving his teacher the slip, aged 11, and sneaking to the factory, where he would stand in awe and watch the process of making fireworks.
“My father was livid when he realised that I had stopped attending school,” he recalls with a chuckle.
“They used to shoo me away from the factory but I was very obstinate. My love for fireworks was something deeply ingrained within me. I’ve always been obsessed with them.”
As a result, Mr Camilleri knows the entire periodic table – a chemistry chart listing all elements – by heart. He also keeps himself up to date. “We’ve replaced potassium chloride with perchlorate for safety reasons,” he explains.
They used to shoo me away from the factory but I was very obstinate
Maltese fireworks are among the best in the world, he says proudly, as his fellow volunteers stack some 600 fireworks against the walls of rooms of the Mqabba premises.
The St Mary Fireworks Factory won the first Malta International Fireworks Festival in 2006, the prestigious Caput Lucis Fireworks World Championship in Rome in 2007 and the National Mechanised Ground Fireworks Festival in 2010.
It is also responsible for propelling some of the most innovative techniques, such as fireworks synchronised to music through the use of a computer.
The factory comprises 15 enthusiasts, who work on a voluntary basis and fork out some €50,000 – a cost they recuperate by selling fireworks to various clients.
Once the August 15 feast is over, the team immediately starts cleaning up the premises. When the weather starts cooling down in October, they start working on one of the most dangerous aspects of the process – making gunpowder.
They work mostly at night, checking one of the many hygrometers which surround the premises on an hourly basis. If humidity levels dip, they immediately halt working.
“Dry air, coupled with a southerly wind, is very problematic. They are the perfect conditions for a spark to happen.”
Following the gunpowder-making process, the team kicks off a process which they call “taħlit tal-berqa” and “taħlit tal-istilla tal-kulur”, which encompasses mixing chemicals to form lightning-like fireworks and the coloured shells.
The way the complex shapes are formed is a very well-guarded secret, one which distinguishes Maltese fireworks from that of foreign companies.
Memorial cards of men who lost their lives in firework factory explosions grace the wall of one of the rooms.
How does he feel whenever he hears of such incidents? “It’s as if my brother would have died. We all know each other.
“That is why I always stress on having maximum levels of concentration, every second that you’re there.
“If my men are going through a difficult time or if their minds are burdened by family or health worries, I send them home.
“Whatever you’re doing, you’re ultimately playing with fire, so we must strive to minimise the risk.”