Gozo school marks Day of European Authors
The Day of European Authors was celebrated in various institutions throughout Europe, including the Gozo College Secondary School, on March 25.
In line with suggested practice, Gozitan writer Joe Camilleri held a reading session with Form 5 students.
He read and recited short stories in Maltese from his latest collections of works, entitled LEku tal-Ħabbata and Faċċati. Both literary anthologies, published by the Maltese publishing house Horizons, present contemporary themes and settings, which challenge readers to think and reflect
The author encouraged students to nurture a love for books and to find pleasure in reading so as to enhance their language skills and be appreciative of creative literary works.
“It is most important that one reads with an inquisitive and analythical mind,” he said. After every reading, the author hinted at thought-provoking patterns throughout the fictitious stories, and led the students to be aware of stylistic techniques, of character development and to try to discover hidden messages.
The Day of European Authors celebration is an initiative by the European Commission, supported by the Creative Europe Programme. The visit of European writers to schools is co-organised by the European Commission and the European Writers’ Council and the Akkademja tal-Malti.
Besides celebrating European literature, this annual event encourages a culture of reading, inspires younger generations to explore the richness of European literature and promotes linguistic diversity in Europe.
Camilleri had a word of gratitude and appreciation for the European Writers’ Council and the Akkademja tal-Malti for nominating him on this tour of schools.
He extended his thanks to the Gozo College Secondary School for their cordial welcoming, especially to the head of school, Theresa Camilleri, and her staff. Camilleri is a former teacher and former head of department at this educational institution.