Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/58795
Title: The ‘mighty pen’ as a political tool : some insights from the writings of Dom Mintoff
Other Titles: Public Life in Malta III : papers on governance, politics and public affairs in the EU’s smallest member state
Authors: DeBattista, André P.
Keywords: Mintoff, Dom, 1916-2012 -- Biography
Mintoff, Dom, 1916-2012 -- Correspondence
Political leadership -- Malta
Issue Date: 2020
Publisher: University of Malta. Department of Public Policy
Citation: DeBattista, A. P. (2020). The ‘mighty pen’ as a political tool : some insights from the writings of Dom Mintoff. In M. T. Vassallo & C. Tabone (Eds.), Public Life in Malta III : papers on governance, politics and public affairs in the EU’s smallest member state (pp. 75-100). Malta: University of Malta. Department of Public Policy.
Abstract: Dom Mintoff (1916–2012) is a defining political figure in postcolonial Malta. Throughout his political career, he energised his followers through fiery rhetoric interspersed with innuendo and vulgar references. Such rhetoric has been extensively examined in various scholarly contributions including those by Boissevain (1976), DeBattista (2012 and 2017) and Zammit (2012). Less attention has been given to his written output in various newspapers and publications, stand-alone pamphlets and edited booklets. His memoir was published posthumously in 2018. Such writings, often written in elegant English prose, reveal a different aspect of Dom Mintoff’s public life. Within the study of political science, such autobiographical writings offer a subjective perspective which can lead to a more objective analysis of people, places and events. This study examines a selection of writings written by Dom Mintoff over a period spanning over forty years. Such writings, often peppered with autobiographical references, offer a unique view of ‘the world surrounding the self’ (Lee, 2009). It hopes to provide an insight into a yet-understudied aspect of Dom Mintoff’s political life.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/58795
ISBN: 9789995717551
Appears in Collections:Public Life in Malta : papers on governance, politics and public affairs in the EU’s smallest member state : Vol. 3

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