Event: Living with the Legacy: Childhood Memories of Thalidomide Survivors A Maltese-language conversation with Anatole Baldacchino, survivor and author of The Malta Thalidomide Affair.
Date:  Wednesday 7 May 2025
Time:  17:30 - 19:00
Venue: CHBO-206 (Campus Hub)

This conversation with Anatole Baldacchino invites us into a profoundly human and often overlooked chapter of medical and social history: the childhood experiences of thalidomide survivors. Drawing from personal testimony, extensive research and his own reflections, Baldacchino sheds light on the enduring emotional, physical, and societal challenges faced by children born with disabilities as a result of thalidomide—a drug that caused widespread infant mortality and birth defects in the mid-20th century.

Framed through the lens of childhood memory, this discussion explores how the tragedy shaped the lives of young survivors—from their earliest encounters with stigma and exclusion to their navigation of identity, resilience, and belonging.

As both a survivor and a storyteller, Baldacchino offers a rare and powerful perspective—combining deeply personal insight with thoughtful critique. This event is not only a tribute to the courage of those who grew up in the shadow of thalidomide, but also a call to acknowledge historical injustices and to honour the voices that were too long silenced.

Registration form is available online.