A litany of woes

‘WEGGHAT STEJJER MILL-HAJJA TAL-LUM’

Author: Paul P. Borg

Publisher: Horizons

Year: 2019

Pages: 393

I must first make a clarification: Paul P. Borg, the author of this book, is not to be confused with Victor Paul Borg.

Both are writers. Victor Paul Borg, an environmentalist, has spent many years in the Far East but he now writes regularly on The Times especially on court matters.

Paul P. Borg, the author of this book, is a very prolific writer in the Maltese language. The blurb lists no less than 26 books including some well-known books like Dallejl gie alla, Bejn Mara u Qassis, rajt ‘l Alla jibki, etc.

Some are collections of short stories and within this category there are three books in particular, of which the present volume is the last of the triptych, which speak of pain, Bezghat, Demghat and this volume, Wegghat.

The author was brought up in the area of Mellieha, specifically around Selmun and he has written a variety of books on the theme. In the present volume he speaks of Selmun and Mistra in one of the best short stories in the book, Ghad jaghdab l-irdum, with a wealth of echoes coming from a childhood spent roaming the area and listening to the grownups speak of a bygone age.

Other short stories hark back to a childhood spent around churches and friars, mostly about a very naughty boy who becomes a very devout boy until tragedy intervenes.

But as the title indicates, the theme of most of the short stories is pain, a series of stories that see the black side of life, especially at such times as Christmas.

As Guze Chetcuti explains in his note of appreciation, Borg’s style consists mainly of short, staccato sentences that create the atmosphere he wants to depict.

Some will find this style endearing. Others will miss the language that a carefully constructed sentence and paragraph may offer.

Nevertheless, the book is riveting especially, as said, those mirroring the Selmun and Mistra past.