Heritage Malta commemorates Dun Karm Psaila with an exhibition marking 150 years since his birth

Heritage Malta is inviting the pub lic to a contained exhibition com memorating the memory and the literary works of Dun Karm Psaila, Malta’s National Poet, this being the year marking the 150th anniversary since he was born. The exhibition is being held at the National Art Museum, MUŻA, and runs until the end of October.

It was inaugurated on Wednes day 13th October, exactly 60 years to the day when Dun Karm passed away, nearly 90 years of age. The poet’s date of birth is also in October he was born in Ħaż Żebbuġ on 18th October 1871.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Minister for the National Her itage, the Arts and Local Govern ment, José Herrera. Kenneth Gambin, Heritage Malta’s Chief Operations Officer, was also pres ent.

Minister Herrera outlined Dun Karm’s prolific career, stressing his role as one of the founding members of the local writers’ guild, Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti, and as the author of the words of the Maltese National An them to Robert Samut’s music. Dun Karm also penned the lyrics of several religious hymns sung in Maltese churches to this day.

Minister Herrera remarked that Dun Karm started to write in Mal tese somewhat late in life, so much so that up till 1912 he was still writing solely in Italian, but the poems he wrote in his native tongue are evidence of a remark able adeptness at expressing his thoughts in the most beautiful idiom and vocabulary. These works attest to Dun Karm’s love of rural life, his deep solitude par ticularly following his mother’s death, and his profound thoughts on human existence, so excel lently expressed in his master piece Il Jien u Lil Hinn Minnu.

On his part, Kenneth Gambin said that this exhibition is small in terms of display but rich in value, since it honours Dun Karm’s priceless contribution to Maltese literature. He added that the exhi bition offers for the first time an opportunity to view under one roof a bust of the National Poet by Ġorġ Borg, some of his personal belongings including a pen and glasses, and a handwritten poem.

Entrance to the exhibition is free of charge. Opening times are the same as MUŻA’s, that is from 10.00am till 4.30pm daily