Melisande Aquilina speaks to Charles Casha in the run-up to the release of the sixth book centering around that most iconic of Maltese fictional characters, Fra Mudest.
Charles CashaHow many of you remember Fra Mudest? The kind-hearted, clumsy, often mischievous, yet lovable monk created by author Charles Casha half a century ago, has long been an icon of Maltese literature. Fra Mudest was first mentioned in April 1967 in Children’s Own, a bilingual magazine created especially for children. The first book about his escapades, Fra Mudest, was published by Merlin in 1971, after which the feisty monk became a legendary figure, attracting a cult following of readers of all ages.
In a world where so many things can go wrong, and at a time when society seems to stumble from one crisis to another, it is comforting and reassuring to hold onto characters like Fra Mudest, whose problems centre around naive humoristic foibles and moments of candid comic relief.
Throughout the years, Casha penned a total of five books detailing Fra Mudest’s saga, creating a collection of 95 short stories in all. The fifth book, 40 Sena Fra Mudest, was published 10 years ago in 2007.
This year, it will be 50 years since the Maltese-speaking public was first introduced to its favourite Fra, and Casha will be commemorating the event with another set of stories collected in a sixth volume published by Merlin.
50 Sena Fra Mudest, which will be published in the coming weeks, will delight readers with 15 new short stories filled with the monk’s typical pranks and shenanigans.
Speaking to author Charles Casha, I tried to understand Fra Mudest’s ageless attraction to his readers.
The stories take place during the late 1950s and early 1960s and portray a different time-period, where society was very different than it is today. Why do you think that, even half a century later, they are still so popular?
The fact that the Fra Mudest stories portray a different time-period is essentially their main attraction, apart from the jocular character of the Fra himself. The spectrum of followers ranges from children to senior citizens, who all enjoy a good laugh. While the adults find themselves immersed in nostalgia, the young ones, who have no recollection of that period, regard it as they would regard the make-believe world of fairy tales.
Fra Mudest follows the traditional Maltese, clumsy yet endearing, Ġaħan-like character, who seems to have become a staple of Maltese comic literature. Do you think there is still a place for these type of characters in today’s literature?
Fra Mudest is at times naive, witty, a practical joker and a helper, but always loveable. I feel there is still a place for these type of characters in today’s literature. This is reinforced by the eager anticipation readers show for the next book.
It is comforting and reassuring to hold onto characters like Fra Mudest, whose problems centre around naive humoristic foibles
In 1968, Malta News described Fra Mudest as “a Maltese Don Camillo”. From where do you get the inspiration in order to create your characters?
Don Camillo is a character I love, but maybe the only trait he shares with Fra Mudest is that he has no malice. I have always believed that, when writing, the building of a character is of the utmost importance, because that’s what makes a story come to life.
I have the habit of jotting down characteristics that interest me in people; how they react in certain situations, their attitude, and so forth. Then I use a mixture of these characteristics in my portrayal of people. The anecdotes are partly experiences and partly a figment of my imagination.
Political correctness is a perspective that has changed with the times. Issues such as drinking and the representation of religious people in the media are sensitive subjects. Fra Mudest is often described as a wine-lover, one who even ends up competing with other monks for his much-desired wine-bottles, as in the story Fra Mudest u l-Qabar. Have you ever been criticised about the way you tackle such issues?
One must keep in mind that, even though Fra Mudest loved his wine, he was not a drunk and I never portrayed him as such. If one had to discredit Fra Mudest because he loved wine, then one should have to discredit many other well-written classics and books much loved and used in school plays by children, which would be a great pity.
Some years ago, there was an implication made that issues such as drinking could be attributed to literature that made reference to it, such as the Fra Mudest stories. However, with so many other major influences – such as social media, peer pressure and today’s lifestyles – one cannot be so simplistic.
Even though you no longer work as a full-time teacher, you still visit many schools to talk and meet with children. What do you think about the value children and society place on the importance of reading today?
When visiting schools I often find that the children have been very well prepared beforehand. Some visit my website in search of information and then write questions about other things they would like to know and ask me about. Others prepare mini-exhibitions and short sketches from particular stories.
As long as the children are taught to seek more about literature, reading will still hold a great value for them. After all, one reads for many reasons: relaxation, enjoyment, getting lost in another world, and information. The love for reading has to be instilled in children as early as possible because it widens their horizons and gives them the ability to express themselves better through the vocabulary they learn.
Throughout the last 50 years, the Maltese language has changed and evolved significantly, especially when it comes to vocabulary. Your books contain many traditional Maltese words, such as ‘korla’, and ‘ħorża’, which most children would not be able to understand today. Do you believe it is important for Maltese children to continue being taught this aspect of Maltese?
Children will understand what is explained or depicted to them, and I believe that Maltese children should not be restricted by not being allowed to come upon such traditional words. When one is writing about a particular period, one is bound to refer to objects or word-forms that are not in use anymore. This ultimately enriches readers’ vocabulary, as well as putting them further into the picture and atmosphere of the story.