Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543228
8 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 13 FEBRUARY 2026 CULTURE Gromphibberous Gozo, through the eyes of Edward Lear An Illustrated Art Talk by Guest Speakers Nicoline Sagona from Heritage Malta, with Selected Readings of the Artist's Nonsense Poems and Gozo Diaries by professional actor Antony Edridge. IN a celebration of watercol- ours and words, lovers of art and poetry are invited to this forthcoming event, which will be held at Gozo Central Pub- lic Library, St. Francis Square, (Pjazza San Franġisk), Victo- ria, Gozo on Wednesday 25th March 2026 from 10.30am - 11.30am. This FREE event will be given in English. To mark the 160th anniver- sary of British artist Edward Lear's visit to Gozo in March 1866, the talk explores a so- journ during which the artist was enchanted by the island's beauty. Following a brief intro- duction to Edward Lear – cele- brated in both artistic and liter- ary circles, particularly for his famous nonsense verse – the speaker will discuss the artist's extensive travels throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, highlighting the Gozo visit. Although Lear visited Mal- ta on several occasions, he set foot on Gozo just once, spend- ing eight consecutive days on the island. During that week he traversed Gozo on foot, sketch- ing tirelessly at every turn. His landscapes offer us a rare opportunity to admire pictur- esque views of an untouched mid-19th-century Gozitan landscape. Lear's detailed diaries allow us to follow his movements on Gozo with remarkable preci- sion. He numbered his draw- ings and frequently noted the date and time on each sketch, creating a vivid record of his journey. The talk will feature images of many of these works, drawn from both public and private collections in Malta and abroad. Speaker profiles Nicoline Sagona obtained a B.A. (Hons.) in History of Art in 2001 and an M.A. in Cul- tural Heritage Management in 2008, both from the Uni- versity of Malta. She has been employed with Heritage Malta since 2005, initially as a cura- tor and subsequently as Man- ager for Gozo Museums and Sites. She currently serves as Senior Curator for Gozo Mu- seums and Sites which include the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ġgantija. She is leading the curatorial team responsible for establishing the Gozo Mu- seum, a regional multidiscipli- nary museum for the island of Gozo, now in its final stages of completion. Sagona has researched and published various aspects of Gozo's history, with a particu- lar focus on foreign artists who depicted the island during their travels. Over the past twen- ty years, she has curated nu- merous temporary exhibitions spanning art history, archaeol- ogy, and ethnography. She also served as a committee member of the local NGO Wirt Għaw- dex from 2018 to 2023. Antony Edridge is a profes- sional actor from London, now based on Gozo. Since arriving on the islands in 2016, he has been involved in theatre, film, television, commercials and voice over work. He recently reprised the role of Secretary of State in 'The Agency' season 2 (Paramount Plus). Some of his Malta & Gozo theatre highlights include; The Jew of Malta; The Lying Kind; A Midsummer Night's Dream; My Fair Lady; Mamma Mia; Image of an Unknown Young Woman; West Side Story and The Sound of Music. He will be playing R.F. Simp- son in the forthcoming stage production of 'Singin' in the Rain' at Gozo's Teatru Astra from the 14 - 22 March 2026. Book your place For more details about this free talk, please visit the Face- book page of Gozo Central Public Library page https:// www.facebook.com/gozocen- tralpubliclibrary Book your place- seat reser- vations are limited and encour- aged by sending an email to eventsgozo.library@gov.mt This event is the first of four planned talks for 2026 by Book Club Gozo in partnership with Gozo Central Public Library (Malta Libraries). Each event will feature guest speakers looking at different aspects of Maltese and Gozitan history. Book Club Gozo acknowledg- es the generous support of Her- itage Malta with this event.