Conference on Concetta Brincat, the First Female Novelist

On Wednesday, 15 October 2025, at 5:30pm, in Pietru Pawl Saydon Hall (ALT) at the University of Malta, Tal-Qroqq, an interdisciplinary conference in Maltese will be held on the novel Il-Familja de Valereux jew Louis Mitluf Ġewwa l-Bosk by Concetta Brincat. This work, which will be published for the first time by Klabb Kotba Maltin and launched at the conference, was written in 1919, and is therefore the first original novel in Maltese written by a woman known to us — forty years before Nokkla Sewda by Mary Meylak. The conference is being organised by the Department of Maltese at the University of Malta in collaboration with Klabb Kotba Maltin and Heritage Malta.

Nine speakers from different fields will offer a variety of perspectives on this narrative, which carries the hallmarks of an early 20th-century popular serial novel, or rumanz tal-faxxiklu, but also has quite particular characteristics of its own. At a time when Maltese authors were translating or adapting Italian or French novels into Maltese, it seems that Concetta Brincat chose to write an original work, albeit within a familiar framework.

The events and characters narrated by Brincat follow established patterns, and dialogue plays a major role in this story of the struggle between good and evil. Yet within this framework of the serialised novel — with its stock characters, adventures, extraordinary coincidences, constant disguises, and heightened emotions—there are beautiful moments when female characters assert their personalities, when food creates relationships, when clothing tells of the social and cultural authority of the characters, or of their humility.

Moreover, although the story is entirely set in France and Belgium, especially in Paris during the French Revolution, the novel also seems to tell the story of a poor Maltese family, like the one Concetta Brincat, née Sciberras, grew up in, in Laqxija, Birkirkara, and later in the city of Constantine in French-colonized Algeria.

The speakers at the conference are Prof. Adrian Grima, the editor of the novel, who will speak about the textual evidence we have to show that this is not a translation or an adaptation of someone else’s work; Maria Simiana, who will discuss the process of transcribing the novel from the notebooks written by the author; historian Dr Simone Azzopardi, who will place the story in the context of the French Revolution and life in Malta in the first two decades of the 20th century; Dr Marilyn Mallia, who will examine this first Maltese novel by a woman in light of the conventions of popular European novels of the time; and Francesca Xuereb, who will speak about the development of female characters in the novel.

In the second part, Fr Ray Gatt OP, who will discuss the religious elements; Dr Noel Buttigieg, who will explore the food and drink culture that regularly enters the story; Caroline Tonna, who will analyse the significance of the many descriptions of the clothing of both nobles and common people; and Annamaria Gatt, from Heritage Malta, who will showcase some garments mentioned in the novel that form part of the national collection, including the kabozza.

The conference will begin with an address by Prof. Carmen Sammut, Pro-Rector for Student and Staff Affairs and Outreach.

Admission to Conference Concetta Brincat: The First Female Novelist is free and open to all. Pietru Pawl Saydon Hall (ALT) is located next to the entrance of the Faculty of Arts, behind Temi Zammit Hall. More information is available on the Department of Maltese Facebook page.

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Nhar l-Erbgħa 15 ta’ Ottubru 2025, fil-5.30pm, f’Sala Pietru Pawl Saydon (ALT) tal-Università ta’ Malta, Tal-Qroqq, se ssir konferenza interdixxiplinarja bil-Malti fuq ir-rumanz Il-Familja de Valereux jew Louis Mitluf Ġewwa l-Bosk ta’ Concetta Brincat. Dan ix-xogħol, li se jiġi ppubblikat għall-ewwel darba mill-Klabb Kotba Maltin u jitnieda fil-konferenza, inkiteb fl-1919, u għalhekk huwa l-ewwel rumanz oriġinali bil-Malti miktub minn mara li nafu bih, erbgħin sena qabel Nokkla Sewda ta’ Mary Meylak. Din il-konferenza qed tittella’ mid-Dipartiment tal-Malti fl-Università ta’ Malta bl-għajnuna tal-Klabb Kotba Maltin u Heritage Malta.

Disa’ kelliema minn oqsma differenti se joffru għadd ta’ perspettivi dwar dan ir-rakkont li għandu x-xeħta ta’ rumanz tal-faxxiklu tal-bidu tas-seklu għoxrin imma għandu wkoll il-karatteristiċi pjuttost partikulari tiegħu. Fi żmien meta l-awturi Maltin kienu qegħdin jittraduċu jew jaddattaw rumanzi Taljani jew Franċiżi għall-Malti, jidher li Concetta Brincat għażlet li tikteb xogħol oriġinali imma fil-qafas tal-mudell magħruf.

Il-ġrajjiet u l-karattri li tirrakkonta Brincat jimxu skont mudelli stabbiliti, u d-djalogu għandu sehem kbir f’rakkont li jħabbat it-tajjeb mal-ħażin. Imma fi ħdan dan il-mudell tar-rumanz tal-faxxiklu, bil-karattri tipiċi, l-avventuri, il-kumbinazzjonijiet straordinarji, it-travestimenti kontinwi, u l-emozzjonijiet kbar, hemm mumenti sbieħ meta l-karattri nisa jasserixxu l-personalità tagħhom, meta l-ikel joħloq relazzjonijiet, meta l-ilbies jirrakkonta l-awtorità soċjali u kulturali tal-karattri, jew l-umiltà tagħhom.

Barra minn hekk, waqt li l-istorja hija ambjentata kollha kemm hi fi Franza u l-Belġju, speċjalment f’Pariġi fi żmien ir-Rivoluzzjoni Franċiża, ir-rumanz donnu jirrakkonta wkoll l-istorja ta’ familja Maltija fqira bħal dik li trabbiet fiha Concetta Brincat, xebba Sciberras, fil-Laqxija, Birkirkara, u mbagħad fil-belt ta’ Konstantina, fl-Alġerija kkolonizzata mill-Franċiżi.

Il-konferenza se tinfetaħ mill-Prof. Carmen Sammut, Prorettur għall-Affarijiet tal-Istudenti u l-Impjegati u l-Kuntatt mal-Komunità. Il-kelliema fl-ewwel parti se jkunu l-Prof. Adrian Grima, l-editur tar-rumanz, li se jitkellem fuq x’provi testwali għandna f’idejna biex ngħidu li dan mhuwiex traduzzjoni jew addattament tax-xogħol ta’ ħaddieħor; Maria Simiana li se titkellem fuq il-proċess tat-traskrizzjoni tar-rumanz mill-pitazzi li kitbet fuqhom l-awtriċi; l-istorika Dr Simone Azzopardi li se tqiegħed ir-rakkont fil-kuntest tal-ġrajja tar-Rivoluzzjoni Franċiża u l-ħajja f’Malta fl-ewwel għoxrin sena tas-seklu għoxrin; Dr Marilyn Mallia li se taqra dan l-ewwel rumanz ta’ mara bil-Malti fid-dawl tal-konvenzjonjiiet tar-rumanz popolari fl-Ewropa ta’ żmienha; u u Francesca Xuereb, li se titkellem fuq l-iżvilupp tal-karattri femminili f’dan ir-rumanz.

Fit-tieni parti, se jitkellmu Fr Ray Gatt OP, li se jiddiskuti l-elementi reliġjużi; Dr Noel Buttigieg li se jħares lejn il-kultura tal-ikel u x-xorb li jidħlu regolarment fl-istorja; Caroline Tonna li se tifli s-sinifikat tal-ħafna deskrizzjonijiet tal-ilbies tan-nobbli u tan-nies komuni; u Annamaria Gatt, minn Heritage Malta, li se turi xi lbies li jissemma fir-rumanz u li jinsab fil-kollezzjoni nazzjonali, fosthom il-kabozza.

Id-dħul għall-Konferenza Concetta Brincat: L-Ewwel Rumanziera, huwa b’xejn u jista’ jattendi kulħadd. Sala Pietru Pawl Saydon (ALT) tinsab maġenb id-daħla tal-Fakultà tal-Arti, wara Sala Temi Zammit. Aktar tagħrif fuq il-paġna tad-Dipartiment tal-Malti fuq Facebook.