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Qed Nistenniek Nieżla Max-Xita
Rebbieħ tal-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb
Mill-awtur rebbieħ tal-Premju tal-Unjoni Ewropea għal-Letteratura
Illejla l-qamar ma jidhirx. U x-xita donnha ma tridx tieqaf. Bilqiegħda b'saqajja mar-radiator qed inħares mit-tieqa 'l barra u nara l-għadajjar jittektku bla ħniena u jibdlu lewnhom ma’ kull karozza li tgħaddi mit-triq. Tfajla twila, b’għajnejha kbar, għaddejja mgħaġġla minn fuq il-bankina kollha weraq niexef imxarrab. U nixtieq inbexxaq it-tieqa u nistaqsiha tridx tgħaddi biex sakemm tbatti ftit ix-xita ngħidu storja lil xulxin. Farid, sid in-night shop ta’ quddiemi, għadu kemm ħareġ jisserraħ mal-koxxa tal-bieb taħt it-tinda tal-Marlboro. U b’sigarett f’ħalqu qed iħares lejn ix-xita. U - min jaf? - forsi qed jistennieha. Nieżla magħha. Huwa wkoll.
Mill-awtur rebbieħ tal-Premju tal-Unjoni Ewropea għal-Letteratura
Illejla l-qamar ma jidhirx. U x-xita donnha ma tridx tieqaf. Bilqiegħda b'saqajja mar-radiator qed inħares mit-tieqa 'l barra u nara l-għadajjar jittektku bla ħniena u jibdlu lewnhom ma’ kull karozza li tgħaddi mit-triq. Tfajla twila, b’għajnejha kbar, għaddejja mgħaġġla minn fuq il-bankina kollha weraq niexef imxarrab. U nixtieq inbexxaq it-tieqa u nistaqsiha tridx tgħaddi biex sakemm tbatti ftit ix-xita ngħidu storja lil xulxin. Farid, sid in-night shop ta’ quddiemi, għadu kemm ħareġ jisserraħ mal-koxxa tal-bieb taħt it-tinda tal-Marlboro. U b’sigarett f’ħalqu qed iħares lejn ix-xita. U - min jaf? - forsi qed jistennieha. Nieżla magħha. Huwa wkoll.
- GenresShort Stories
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Pierre J. Mejlak
9 books42 followersBorn in Malta, Pierre J. Mejlak has been writing novels and short stories since he was young. He is published by Merlin Publishers.
Mejlak has written books for children, adaptations, a novel and two collections of short stories, winning numerous awards, including five National Book Awards, the Commonwealth Essay Writing Award and the Sea of Words European Short Story Award.
His first collection of short stories for adults, Qed Nistenniek Niezla max-Xita (I'm waiting for you to fall with the rain) was published to critical and popular acclaim in February 2009. His second collection of short stories, Dak li l-Lejl Ihallik Tghid (what the night lets you say) was published in June 2011.
A number of his short stories have been translated into English, French, Catalan, Portuguese, Serbian, Arabic, Spanish, Indonesian and Italian and were read at numerous literary festivals around Europe and the Middle East. Mejlak's award-winning novel Rih Isfel (southern wind) has been turned into a 13-episode prime-time TV series for Malta's NET TV.
Two times winner of the Malta Journalism Award, Pierre J. Mejlak worked as a journalist from 1999 to 2005. He was a BBC correspondent, a regular columnist for Malta's daily In-Nazzjon and produced radio shows - including 60 one-hour documentaries on rock legends - for various national radio stations.
From an early age, Pierre J. Mejlak published a number of magazines, including his very-own monthly magazine Il-Fwieha tan-Narcisa, which he wrote, edited and published from January 1996 to December 2000.
In 2004 he left Malta to Brussels, where he still lives.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 29, 2021
Mejlak's second collection of short stories - Dak li l-Lejl Iħallik Tgħid - earned him the EU Literature Prize and, in its expanded, English-language edition - Having said goodnight - hopefully also a wider circle of admirers. Any such success is well deserved, for the book contains several precociously mature works which transplant a European, indeed cosmopolitan, sensibility onto still evident Mediterranean roots.
Qed Nistenniek Nieżla max-Xita (literally, I'm Waiting for you to come down with the Rain), is an anthology of earlier short stories in which the author still draws heavily on the Maltese experience, with foreign settings used more for a touch of the exotic than as a central part of the plot. What the stories may yet lack in sophistication, especially in comparison with Mejlak's later work, they make up in spontaneity. Most of the pieces are short, just a few pages long (I remember them published as blogposts on Mejlak's website) and, as in the best of short fiction, they focus on a particular theme or idea and develop it effectively in the space of a few paragraphs.
I could not help feeling that these stories (first published when the author was in his twenties, and reprinted here in an attractively presented and illustrated edition) are the work of a young man who has been a boy not long since, and who is well aware that youth will not last forever. Indeed, despite their bitter-sweet humour, most of the stories have a strong melancholic vein, generally one induced by nostalgia. The theme of memory, which will feature so vividly in Mejlak's second collection, is already hinted at in "Qed nistennik niezla max-Xita", especially in the more autobiographical pieces. For someone who shares more or less the same type of background and upbringing, these stories cannot but strike a chord. I may be biased, but I'll give this book five stars.
***
"Qed nistenniek nieżla max-xita" hija ġabra ta' stejjer illi forsi tidher anqas sofistikata minn "Dak li l-Lejl iħallik tgħid". Dik kienet antoloġija ta' awtur kożmopolita, li daq mill-qrib il-ħajja 'l barra minn xtutna. Min-naħa l-oħra, "Qed nistenniek nieżla max-xita" jagħtina sensiela ta' kwadri, qosra imma effettivi, li ħafna drabi narawhom jisiltu ideat mill-ħajja u l-esperjenza Maltija. Toltqok il-lehma malinkonika, it-tifkira tal-ewwel imħabba u, fuq kollox, in-nostalġija taqtagħha b'sikkina ta' awtur li m'ilux li kien tifel imma jaf li ma fadallux wisq żagħżugħ. Dawn huma stejjer illi għandek taqra fis-sajf, fuq bank fil-pjazza fis-siegħa ta' filgħodu, meta fil-misraħ ma jibqa' ħadd ħlief il-barman tal-każin jiġbor is-siġġijiet. Jew li tieħu miegħek Londra jew Brussell meta tibda nieżla x-xita u tispiċċa l-provvista ta' Twistees, Kinnie u Cisk. Jew li taqra lil uliedek meta jitfarfru u jistaqsuk - "għidli storja ta' meta kont żgħir, Pa'". Wasal iż-żmien għal ktieb ieħor Pierre.
Qed Nistenniek Nieżla max-Xita (literally, I'm Waiting for you to come down with the Rain), is an anthology of earlier short stories in which the author still draws heavily on the Maltese experience, with foreign settings used more for a touch of the exotic than as a central part of the plot. What the stories may yet lack in sophistication, especially in comparison with Mejlak's later work, they make up in spontaneity. Most of the pieces are short, just a few pages long (I remember them published as blogposts on Mejlak's website) and, as in the best of short fiction, they focus on a particular theme or idea and develop it effectively in the space of a few paragraphs.
I could not help feeling that these stories (first published when the author was in his twenties, and reprinted here in an attractively presented and illustrated edition) are the work of a young man who has been a boy not long since, and who is well aware that youth will not last forever. Indeed, despite their bitter-sweet humour, most of the stories have a strong melancholic vein, generally one induced by nostalgia. The theme of memory, which will feature so vividly in Mejlak's second collection, is already hinted at in "Qed nistennik niezla max-Xita", especially in the more autobiographical pieces. For someone who shares more or less the same type of background and upbringing, these stories cannot but strike a chord. I may be biased, but I'll give this book five stars.
***
"Qed nistenniek nieżla max-xita" hija ġabra ta' stejjer illi forsi tidher anqas sofistikata minn "Dak li l-Lejl iħallik tgħid". Dik kienet antoloġija ta' awtur kożmopolita, li daq mill-qrib il-ħajja 'l barra minn xtutna. Min-naħa l-oħra, "Qed nistenniek nieżla max-xita" jagħtina sensiela ta' kwadri, qosra imma effettivi, li ħafna drabi narawhom jisiltu ideat mill-ħajja u l-esperjenza Maltija. Toltqok il-lehma malinkonika, it-tifkira tal-ewwel imħabba u, fuq kollox, in-nostalġija taqtagħha b'sikkina ta' awtur li m'ilux li kien tifel imma jaf li ma fadallux wisq żagħżugħ. Dawn huma stejjer illi għandek taqra fis-sajf, fuq bank fil-pjazza fis-siegħa ta' filgħodu, meta fil-misraħ ma jibqa' ħadd ħlief il-barman tal-każin jiġbor is-siġġijiet. Jew li tieħu miegħek Londra jew Brussell meta tibda nieżla x-xita u tispiċċa l-provvista ta' Twistees, Kinnie u Cisk. Jew li taqra lil uliedek meta jitfarfru u jistaqsuk - "għidli storja ta' meta kont żgħir, Pa'". Wasal iż-żmien għal ktieb ieħor Pierre.
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January 7, 2012Riċensjoni lura fl-2009...
http://www.frokna.blogspot.com/2009/0...
Qiegħdin hekk qishom ringiela wara xulxin jew aħjar ħdejn xulxin. Tazzi żgħar tax-shooters. Imma mhux mimlijin bil-vodka bir-Red Bull jew biż-Zambuca. Naħseb mimlijin bil-Limunċell. It-tazza żgħira, u l-istorja qasira. Imma t-tazza mimlija sa fuq u trid taqbadha bi ftit galbu u teknika għax inkella twaqqa minnha u l-Limunċell idellek ħafna u jdejjqek. Naħseb li mimlijin bil-Limunċell għax l-istejjer ma jweġġgħulekx rasek bħall-vodka. Fihom l-alokoħol xorta waħda imma l-persentaġġ qiegħed tajjeb. Ma jaqtgħukx minn saqajk mill-ewwel, wara wieħed tieħu tnejn oħra u l-ikla ta’ qabel tħossha kompluta wara li ddurhom waħda waħda.
Mejlak iħallat il-ħelu mal-morr. Il-familjari mal-istranġier. Il-ħemda ta’ raħal Għawdxi ma’ belt f’nofs l-Ewropa burokratika. Il-parrokkjaliżmu mal-kosmopolitan.
Ħafna mill-istejjer kont qrajthom qabel minn fuq il-blogg tiegħu stess. Imma naqrahom għat-tieni darba ma ddejjaqt xejn. Bħal xarba tajba ma tiddejjaq xejn terġa’ tixrobha t-tieni darba. Speċjalment jekk preżentata fi flixkun aktar sabiħ jew adattat mill-ewwel darba. L-ewwel darba l-Limunċell kien jintefa’ fi flixkun kwalunkwe, x’aktarx tal-wiski jew vodka, bit-tikketta se tinqala’ jew ma tinqalax, din id-darba l-flixkun waħdu wkoll iħajjrek u hu ta’ dehen għal ta’ ġo fih.
http://www.frokna.blogspot.com/2009/0...
Qiegħdin hekk qishom ringiela wara xulxin jew aħjar ħdejn xulxin. Tazzi żgħar tax-shooters. Imma mhux mimlijin bil-vodka bir-Red Bull jew biż-Zambuca. Naħseb mimlijin bil-Limunċell. It-tazza żgħira, u l-istorja qasira. Imma t-tazza mimlija sa fuq u trid taqbadha bi ftit galbu u teknika għax inkella twaqqa minnha u l-Limunċell idellek ħafna u jdejjqek. Naħseb li mimlijin bil-Limunċell għax l-istejjer ma jweġġgħulekx rasek bħall-vodka. Fihom l-alokoħol xorta waħda imma l-persentaġġ qiegħed tajjeb. Ma jaqtgħukx minn saqajk mill-ewwel, wara wieħed tieħu tnejn oħra u l-ikla ta’ qabel tħossha kompluta wara li ddurhom waħda waħda.
Mejlak iħallat il-ħelu mal-morr. Il-familjari mal-istranġier. Il-ħemda ta’ raħal Għawdxi ma’ belt f’nofs l-Ewropa burokratika. Il-parrokkjaliżmu mal-kosmopolitan.
Ħafna mill-istejjer kont qrajthom qabel minn fuq il-blogg tiegħu stess. Imma naqrahom għat-tieni darba ma ddejjaqt xejn. Bħal xarba tajba ma tiddejjaq xejn terġa’ tixrobha t-tieni darba. Speċjalment jekk preżentata fi flixkun aktar sabiħ jew adattat mill-ewwel darba. L-ewwel darba l-Limunċell kien jintefa’ fi flixkun kwalunkwe, x’aktarx tal-wiski jew vodka, bit-tikketta se tinqala’ jew ma tinqalax, din id-darba l-flixkun waħdu wkoll iħajjrek u hu ta’ dehen għal ta’ ġo fih.
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July 25, 2011Dawn l-istejjer miġbura qishom platt ħelu Sqalli - kull waħda ħelwa fil-partikolarità tagħha u anqas tkun taf minn fejn se taqbad tibda tagħżel. Għoġbni ħafna!
March 14, 2013
Good collection of short stories..
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews