Cryptococcus - book launch

Dr Luke Joseph Buhagiar (lecturer at the Department of Policy, Politics & Governance) will be launching his debut novel in November. This event is part of the Malta Book Festival 2026.

The launch for Cryptococcus (published by Kotba Calleja) will be held on Wednesday, 4 November at 17:00 (duration: 1 hour), at the MFCC, Ta' Qali (Sala tal-Qarrejja). The event will involve an interview with the author. Pre-orders of the book are available via email to: Kotba Calleja or Dr Luke Buhagiar.

In this novel, the story follows Andrei, a man living in a small city by the sea. Andrei tends to make unwise decisions. His daughter is always on his mind, and she doesn't speak a word. Andrei is a disoriented father, an unlikely real estate agent who rediscovers his passion for retro videogames. There is only so much strain his mind can endure.

The novel is in Maltese. The blurb reads as follows:

Meta kont żgħir kont nibża’ mill-kompjuter. Illum nibża’ minn dawk l-affarijiet li m’għandi l-ebda mod kif neħles minnhom, dal-ħlejjaq mikroskopiċi għaddejjin ħabrieka nkiss inkiss kull fejn immur, dejjem għaddejjin. Il-mobile ma jiqafx, kulħadd iridni, kulħadd “isma’ Andrei, għax ħa ngħidlek Andrei ...” Moħħi ma jiqafx lanqas. Kultant indur għall-inbid. Kultant noħlom fuq il-videogames li trabbejt bihom, il-wens balzmu ta’ dawk id-dinjiet, il-kuluri, il-karattri. Kultant noħlom li t-tifla terġa’ tibda titkellem. Li nifhem. Li moħħi jieħu nifs.