Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1073679
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 JANUARY 2019 CULĊTURE CULTURE A monthly book discussion group set up in Gozo a year ago is proving to be a real success with readers. Book Clubs en- able people to meet socially and discuss a book and express their opinions and thoughts. One of the main aims of this group is also to introduce members to new authors and provide an opportunity to enjoy different reading experiences. Book Club Gozo recently an- nounced the twelve titles to be read and discussed in 2019, beginning on Wednesday, 30th January 2019 with Hav- ing Said Goodnight by Maltese novelist and winner of the Eu- ropean Union Prize for Litera- ture, Pierre J. Mejlak. Malta Libraries staff based at Gozo's Central Public Li- brary in Victoria have been very supportive since day one. They have provided a venue for the meetings and continu- ously publicised the initiative to library patrons. Copies of all the book club choices have also been added to library stock and library members can borrow any of the titles in the selection free of charge from a special shelf dedicated to the Book Club. Some of titles can also be downloaded using the free on- line eBooks Service offered by Malta Libraries. Mojca, a member of Book Club Gozo said: "I have loved reading for as long as I can re- member. I also enjoy talking about books with my friends, but sadly not all of them are such avid readers as me. It is the first time I've ever joined a book club and the one here in Gozo is fantastic! I like our lively, monthly book discus- sions very much - in fact I didn't miss a single session last year. I really like meeting other readers and learning about writers from different cul- tures. Meanwhile, being part of the group means I can also try out the books for free, and some of the titles we have read and enjoyed would have pre- viously been way out of my reading comfort zone." Book Club Gozo is a free monthly reading group meeting at 10am on the last Wednesday of each month in the Central Public Library, Victoria, Gozo. Everyone is welcome. Book Club Gozo celebrates first anniversary FLIMKIEN ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) turns the spot- light on courtesans in Hospitaller Valletta during a talk by Dr Christine Muscat, at 6.30pm tonight at the Phoe- nicia Hotel in Floriana. Muscat will share her study about the residential patterns of courtesan women and their 'daytime oc- cupations', showing that they were well integrated into the city's social fabric. The talk will explore the geography of prostitution in Hospitaller Valletta and, by drawing on cases, will discuss how the city offered greater opportunities for female businesswomen than travel literature and broader cultural, religious, and social norms would lead us to believe. The talk is being sponsored by Dhalia Real Estate, The Phoenicia Hotel, Firstbridge and Da Vinci Hos- pital Courtesan Walk. As a follow-through after tonight's talk, FAA is or- ganising a Courtesan Walk through the residential patterns and histories unearthed by Muscat's meticu- lous research. The walk will trace the lives of some of Valletta's early modern courtesans, a colourful part of Malta's recent history. The walk is being organised on Sunday 3 February at 10.30am. Participants are to meet in front of St John's Cathe- dral main door. Talk on courtesans in Hospitaller Valletta