Maltese Ambassador, Renowned Writer Visit and Lecture Students

A Comparative Study of the Literatures of Malta and Palestine was given in a lecture presented by Maltese renowned, EU- Literature Prize laureate Immanuel Mifsud on April 26, 2014 at Birzeit University.The lecture was organized by Birzeit University’s External Academic Relations, Palestine and Arabic Studies Program (PAS), the Department of English Language and Literature and the Representative office of the Republic of Malta.Maltese Ambassador in Palestine Reuben Gauci accompanied with Mifsud on a visit to the university President Abdel Latif Abu Hijleh, who assured that Birzeit University is a home to distinguished cultures and thoughts.“ Hosting prominent intellectuals and writers allows our students and teaching faculty to pay attention to important cultural, economic, and historical issues. This can contribute to the cumulative knowledge, education and broad thinking of our students.”Mifsud presented the history of Maltese literature, along with an underlying history lessons about Malta and insights about today’s writing demands.  He gave an introduction to the Maltese literature which he described as “so young” as the Maltese writing has started in the beginning of the twentieth century.”Immanuel Mifsud is a writer of poetry and prose, born in Paola, Malta. He was for a time involved in research theatre. He wrote six collections of short stories, six poetry collections, and also children stories. In 2011, he won the European Union Prize for Literature and the National Literary Award in 2015.