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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 NOVEMBER 2021 7 CULTURE BOOK REVIEW 'Christmas in the City' programme launches in Valletta TODAY the Valletta Cultural Agency Chairman Jason Mi- callef and Minister for the Na- tional Heritage, the Arts and Local Government José Her- rera opened the programme of activities in Valletta which will be taking place during the days leading to Christmas and the New Year. These activities will run from the 22nd of November to the 31st of December. The programme kicked off today with Christmas lights being switched on in Valletta in Republic Street, Merchants Street and Archbishop Street; Christmas Trees in Freedom Square, Republic Street, Mer- chants Street, and South Street; and the Crib located in Pjazza San Ġwann and music in the streets. The programme in- cludes a wide range of activities and also includes Christmas projections on the facade of the Grandmasters Palace, theatri- cal and joyful events that will put the audience in the Christ- mas spirit. The Christmas in the City programme culminates with a grand finale on New Year's Eve with popular British sing- er John Newman performing in Valletta. Newman is known for several popular songs includ- ing "Feel the Love", "Not Giv- ing In", "Love Me Again", "Fire in Me" and "Feelings", and will be performing alongside a vari- ety of local artists. Visit the Valletta Cultural Agency website and Facebook page for more information. Three variations on one theme Alfred Balma NOVELS in Maltese have al- ways topped the charts of read- ers who delight in enjoying a story in their own language. Malta can boast of a number of excellent writers who, for as long as one can remember, have enriched Maltese literature with this very popular genre of writing. One of those is most certainly Salv Sammut who, essentially a a very sensitive poet with an extreme sense of imagination has, quite regularly now, given us some of the best and most readable Maltese novels ever written. And, the fact that sin- gles Sammut out is the unique way he goes into a situation mainly conscious of humanity and everything that makes it tick. He is fully aware of all the shortcomings that have been tragically rattling the world since the very creation of man. He practically re-sets the stage that Shakespeare immortalised in his play As You Like It. And now, Sammut has ven- tured on an even wider spec- trum of literary drama with a trilogy, three novels with a binding theme that covers all the emotions which every hu- man being feels and displays while playing his part in the tragic-comedy we call Life. The first novel is Lady M; a story about a woman who is both heartless and ruthless. Egotistic and deceitful, she en- joys hurting people, causing them distress and heartache, while she relishes deceit. The second novel is Attentat; which strongly revolves around good and bad deeds, with political corruption lurking its lurid head in sinister scenarios; again with strong moral references to be delved into. The third novel is Waqtiet (fl-imħabba li ma titkellimx); this novel is in- deed the cherry on top of the cake. Here, Sammut gives his all with a strong poetic dash on a mixed-up family, distraught by Alzheimer and surrounded by a tragic aura brought about by sheer human frailty, with highlights of prejudice, egoism and insensitivity, and delicate touches of nostalgia haunting the story as it staggers to the very end, where lies the very hope of Sammut's quest in the writing of all the three novels. This trilogy is quite new in its form, intention and scope; and Sammut deserves all the praise for the novelty. Humanity will never change; it will be forev- er subject to its own bad traits, with hopes of more good ones dawning with every new day; but the only changes will only be on the stage backdrops, as the tragic-comedy continues. And Sammut is fully aware of all this; and his crie de coeur lies (also) in these three beau- tiful novels which, like all his other novels, and even in his poetry, have always had the same noble scope in mind: that of making humanity aware of its folly before this fully takes the upper hand, with fatal and tragic results. Salv Sammut: Triloġija: Lady M, Attentat and Waqtiet, three novels in Maltese; a Horizons Publication, 2021