User:ClamMG/Ġużè Chetcuti

Ġużè Chetcuti (from Bormla, 11th August, 1914 - 18th July, 2006) was a poet and Maltese author.

Education and Career
Ġużè Chetcuti studied at the Central School of San Albert in Valletta and later at the College of Teachers in the capital as well. He joined the civil service in 1936 as a teacher in primary schools and two years later was given the position of store officer with the Department of Health. In 1940 when the war broke out, he joined the editorial staff at the Information Office as sub-editor and translator of the Service Bulletin and the Malta Review. During the war years he was one of the three official broadcasters. He had rejoined the Department of Education and taught Maltese at the Liceo (1956 - 1974) and for two years gave lectures on Maltese at the Mater Admirabilis Training College in Tal-Virtù and at the Upper Secondary School (Sixth Form). He also taught in the Emergency Teachers' Maturity Course and for many years was an examiner of Maltese in Civil exams, other public exams, and several times in literary contests.

Author and Poet
Ġużè Chetcuti was a founder of the Association for the "Tixrid tal-Ilsien Malti" Spread of the Maltese Language (1939) together with the doctor Ġużè Bonnici and the lawyer Anton Buttigieg. He worked for Maltese and for Maltese literature in very difficult times, not only in times when loving Maltese was considered a dishonor but also during the Second World War. During the war years from 1940 to 1948 he was Secretary of the Association of Maltese Writers (today known as the Maltese Academy). He was also sub-editor of the literary magazine 'Il-Malti' Maltese, he gave his help for many years in the publication of the literary magazine 'Leħen il-Malti' Voice of The Maltese published by the University of Malta, Vice President (1990 - 1992 ), Honorary President (1998 - 1999), and President of the subcommittee on spelling issues. He was also an Honorary member of the Association of Maltese Poets, he was a member of the Council and Secretary of the 'Malta Drama League'.

Chetcuti's prose is a realist one and he used literature to above all advance the cause of the poor and uneducated. In his novels, Chetcuti clearly shows the consequences of poverty on man. Novels like "It-Tnalja" The Pliers, "L-Isqaq" The Alley, "Il-Kerrejja" The Tenant and many of his novels should be considered as a clear and realistic manifesto about a society in the grip of social change that has left victims. And Chetcuti was their portraitist and literary defender. Chetcuti's novels and plays gave evidence of popular life in our country and they did so with superb poetic realism. Many of Ġużè Chetcuti's literary writings continue to be considered among the masterpieces of Maltese literature. In them he also showed himself as a writer influenced by the values ​​of social justice and Christian charity.

Chetcuti was also an important exponent of romantic poetry in Malta. We have a beautiful country. He loved the farmers and the simple life. He wrote about love and power. The worries and joys of life. Patriotism and faith. His finest poems maintained a delicate balance between the power of the Maltese word and the zest of the Mediterranean charm.

Chetcuti also worked for the people to understand literature and therefore also published books of criticism. Another aspect that should not be forgotten is Chetcuti the translator. He translated into Maltese works by Vincenzo Maria Pellegrini, Giovanni Curmi and a play by Henrik Ibsen.

Among the large number of books that came out of Chetcuti's pen are "Id-Dawl tal-Hijaja", "L-Isqaq", "Poeti Maltin", the works for the stage include "Il-Kerrejja" The Tenant, "Imħuħ Morda" Sick Minds, "Manwela", and "1919", as well as many critical studies, novels, translations, training writings in Maltese grammar, as well as the autobiographical books in which we met with many authors of his time as also with others from generations that came after.

Chetcuti's works have also been translated into English and Arabic.

The Maltese people recognised his work when in 1996 they chose him to be a member of the National Order of Merit.

Mewt
The news of his death was announced on the media and in all the journals that gave biographical information about his life and his great and powerful work in all branches of Maltese literature. Charles Flores, poet and Literary Editor of "l-Orizzont" The horizon, said "The last Literary Giant has died".

Alfred Sant, Leader of the Labor Party, former Prime Minister and author said that "Ġużè Chetcuti remained full of enthusiasm and interest in national life." Sant said that Chetcuti was his teacher who over the years also became a great friend. "The love he had for literature and the Maltese language was always a great source of inspiration for me and my generation, as well as for those who came before and after us. He was a humble and hardworking man, very kind in his demeanor, a dedicated teacher. He was enthusiastic about the literary work that he managed to give it, over the years, a social dimension. He always kept going with new writing and information projects."

Monsignor Victor Grech, Director of Caritas who conducted the funeral ceremony in the Stella Maris Church, during his homily called Ġużè Chetcuti "Rose of Maltese Literature".