Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543384
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 FEBRUARY 2026 CULTURE Bjuda — A translation into Arabic TO hear colours being said in Arabic is like hearing them ut- tered in Maltese. The names of the basic colours in Maltese make us aware that our lan- guage bears Semitic roots. Col- ours like aswad, ahmar, akhdar, azraq, and of course abyad, are a constant reminder of where our language springs from. It was not unnatural, then, that the poetry collection Bju- da was translated into Arabic. It is Leanne Ellul's second po- etry collection, first published in 2022 by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ. Four years later, it has been published by Sefsafa Publish- ing House, with support from the Malta Book Fund (National Book Council). The book was launched at the 2026 Cairo In- ternational Book Fair. Bjuda was originally an inter- disciplinary and synaesthetic project pairing Ellul's poems with photography by Giola Cassar, whose work also fea- tures on the cover of the Arabic translation. The original project also featured music and a walk- through experience set for one month only. The playful and dynamic "book" — including postcards, posters, booklets — housing the Maltese poems together with their English translations by Albert Gatt was originally designed by Zvezdan Reljić. The Arabic version keeps the spirit of the original publication but is presented in a traditional book format. The collection centres on the colour white as a lens through which to explore a range of hu- man experiences and emotions, weaving together the different stages of human life — from childhood through to death. The Arabic translation was carried out by Abdelrehim Youssef, who also worked closely with the poet herself. This is not Ellul's first foray in- to the Arabic-speaking world. Her first novel for young adults, Gramma (Merlin, 2015), win- ner of the Konkors ta' Letter- atura għaż-Żgħażagħ, was pub- lished by Manshurat al-Rabie Publications at the 2019 Cairo International Book Fair. Gram- ma was translated by Emad Ahmad with support from the National Book Council, with a bridge translation into English by Albert Gatt. To have a work that is trans- lated to another language is both a privilege and an hon- our. Words take on a life of their own, and in translation, poems are born anew. Indeed, a selection of poems from Bju- da has also been published in Croatian (Booksa, 2023), trans- lated by Vlatka Valentić. One would hope that such transla- tions multiply the meanings of words and poems alike — that "you repeat a word until it's lost all meaning", and yet, in losing it, acquires new and ever newer meanings. CHRISTINE X Art Gallery is hosting their next show, a satel- lite event of the Malta Biennale 2026, on 12 March 2026 at 7pm. Entry Denied confronts vi- sa-based exclusion in the art world, spotlighting artists de- nied international access, reim- agining the exhibition as a bor- der zone, blending absence and presence. Through artivism, it exposes systemic inequalities and demands a more just, in- clusive vision of global cultural exchange. Through artworks and doc- umentary practices, the exhi- bition gives material form to absence. These works move beyond documentation toward artivism, transforming adminis- trative exclusion into aesthetic and political agency. The exhi- bition space is reimagined as a border zone, where absence be- comes as charged as presence. Artworks are accompanied by testimonies from artists unable to attend due to denied entry, alongside a video documentary directed by Christopher Butt- iġieġ and archival materials ad- dressing visa exclusion in the art world and beyond. Situated in Malta, a site histor- ically positioned between access and obstruction, Entry Denied becomes an act of institution- al reflection. By foregrounding African artists Alexander Ta- desse, Bright Tetteh Ackwerh, Dan Girma, and Dereje Shifer- aw, the project affirms a sim- ple truth- creativity transcends borders, even when borders are enforced. The show includes a documen- tary by Christopher Buttigieg and artworks by - Alexander Tadesse - Bright Ackwerh - Dan Girma - Dereje Shiferaw Entry Denied opens on 12 March 2026 at 7pm at Chris- tine X Art Gallery, 53 Tigne street c/w Hughes Hallet street, Sliema. Follow this link to RSVP: https://calendarlink. com/event/sy25b Entry Denied, a satellite event of the Malta Biennale