An 83-year-old who was accompanied by four siblings on the altar for his first Mass and a woman who brought up seven children and mourned another six are among some 40 Għarb residents who feature in a new book about the Gozitan village.

But unlike in any other book, these people do not feature only in the text of A History of Għarb by Patrick Formosa.

Readers can listen to the residents speaking to the author nearly 50 years ago, their voice recorded for posterity and included in a USB stick tucked in the sleeve of the book.

The recorded interviews accompanying the book were conducted by the author himself with various inhabitants of Għarb between 1971 and 1972, while the book consists of an updated version of a 1973 dissertation by Mr Formosa.

Its publication was primarily motivated by the realisation that the insights it provides into various aspects of Gozitan rural life have since been mostly relegated to ever-distant memory.

Joseph Cauchi encouraging Samuel Brooke to try, with his three-year-old strength, to ring the big bell of Għarb’s Basilica.

The brilli game, the Lent fasting tradition of the seba’ bukkuni, the għażżiela ‒ a talisman made out of pastry to protect against lightning – and the lost language of Għarb (brajku) all feature in the publication.

The recorded accounts also vary. One interviewee recounts Carnival traditions that involved a lot of dancing, singing għana, drinking wine and also throwing sweets at attractive women. He laments that Carnival had lost its true spirit and fun back then.

Another interviewee notes that he was one of nine siblings, six of whom were men. Only one of the men married, with the remaining becoming priests. Four of his brothers assisted him during his first Mass, where Karmni Grima, known for receiving a vision that led to the construction of the church of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu, was also present.

Meanwhile, a mother-of-seven, who lost six infants, speaks of how ground limestone, scraped with a penknife, used to serve as talcum powder.

The book, published by the Salesians of Don Bosco (Malta) through Fr Charles Cini, SDB and featuring more than 350 photos by Daniel Cilia, is available from the author on 7944 0029 and the Għarb local council.

A Porsche passes through Pjazza San Pietru during a game of brilli.

A niche containing a statue of St Louis Gonzaga holding the Crucifix in Triq Molina.  

The nave of the parish church seen from the dome level. 

The underground man-made cavity under Pjazza Gerano (previously known as Fuq il-Blata) lit by candlelight. The floor of the cavity collects rainwater from the square above, which is eventually pumped out into a nearby well.