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CULTURE BOOKS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 SEPTEMBER 2019 8 THE latest event to raise funds in a bid to Save Valletta's Skyline is an exclusive talk by international author Clare Francis MBE. Her talk, 'A Life in Parallels', will share her many career successes, both as a bestselling author and as a yachts- woman, as well as her upbringing that included five years at the Royal Ballet School, and her battle with ME. Best known internationally as an au- thor, Ms Francis has penned 11 novels, including her first, Night Sky, which shot to Number One on the Sunday Times bestseller list and was in the New York Times' Top 10 for six weeks. Her thrillers and crime novels have re- ceived international acclaim, having been translated into 20 languages and published in more than 30 countries. Her ventures into writing were in- spired by a former career as a success- ful yachtswoman, committing her sea- faring adventures to the page in three non-fiction books before turning to fic- tion. In 1973, she sailed singlehandedly across the Atlantic, before taking part in the 1974 Round Britain Race with Eve Bonham, finishing in third place. She went on to set a new women's sin- gle-handed transatlantic record in 1976 and was also the first woman to skip- per a yacht in the Whitbread Round the World Race. As a sufferer herself of chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME, Clare Francis is also a trustee of the UK charity Action for ME. Funds raised by this one-off event will go towards the Save Valletta's Skyline appeal, which aims to raise more than €8 million to fund vital restoration work on the tower, spire and structure of St Paul's Pro-Cathedral in Valletta. It is hoped that, by restoring this iconic landmark, the Cathedral's silhouette can remain a key feature of the capital city's famous skyline. A Life in Parallels, a talk by Clare Francis, will be held on 3 October at the Royal Malta Yacht Club, Ta' Xbiex Seafront, Ta'Xbiex. Tickets are priced at €25 per person, which includes wine and canapés. To book, please email petragd@guisthall. com Bestselling author and yachtswoman Clare Francis to give talk to help save Valletta's skyline JOIN Heritage Malta for sunrise at Mnajdra on the morning of Sunday 22 and Monday 23 September to mark the autumn equinox. At Mnajdra, sunrise on the first day of each season underlines the rela- tionship between the temples and the celestial bodies. Although it is not known for certain whether these ori- entations were intentional, they are so systematic that this is very probable. In prehistoric agricultural societies, observation of the motion of the stars, the moon and sun were clearly related to the changing seasons and times of planting and harvesting crops. To ensure that all visitors get to ob- serve the rising sun from inside the temple, only a limited number of tick- ets are available for this event. Tickets are available online http://shop.her- itagemalta.org or from all Heritage Malta sites and museums at €25 each, while members of Heritage Malta pay €15. Participants for this event are to group early in the morning next to Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Visitor Centre entrance at 6.15am. The tour includes the experience of the au- tumn equinox at Mnajdra Temples, a guided tour of both Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Temples, access to the visi- tor centre with 4D show, and coffee break. For more information call 21424231 or visit Heritage Malta website, www. heritagemalta.org Autumn Equinox at Mnajdra Temples