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10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 9 OCTOBER 2026 CULTURE JOIN Book Club Gozo for this free library event, in which the author, and engineer will talk about his recent book, which documents major aircraft loss- es over Gozo during the Second World War, combining archival research with rare first-hand eyewitness accounts. 'Even in instances of wartime, there is a glimmer of humanity. The first-hand accounts in this book shed light on new per- spectives, previously unknown and neglected. It strips away the military aspects of the Second World War, and presents some- thing pure, genuine and inspir- ing' (Source: Midsea Books). This illustrated talk, which will be given in English, will ex- plore three key themes: Waqa' Ajruplon – The awfully mesmerising spectacle of a crash site This first section will focus on the abject peculiarity of an aircraft tumbling out of the sky onto Gozitan soil. The sight of a flaming behemoth burying it- self deep on the island present- ed the Għawdxin an unknown realm. Foreign tongues and skin tones, and technologies that seemed incomprehensively futuristic. How was it, that the instinct of the Għawdxi at the site of a crashed aircraft was not take shelter, but to run to the flaming wreck? L-Ghaqal tal-Ghawdxin – Tales of Thrift and Gozitan Wisdom The Għawdxin were frugal and wise, stark in contrast with the intoxicating modern world of the disposable and the con- venient. The instinct to be fru- gal was not a value more than a necessity to survive in wartime. The wreck of an aircraft pre- sented a bountiful supply of ma- terial. This part of the talk will focus on the Għawdxin, their creativity, wisdom and frugali- ty, and the theme of reuse and repurposing of airplane wreck- age. Biza' u Wgigh – The Airmen, the Traumatised, the Hurt and the Departed Thirdly, a glimpse into the psyche of an airman. This part of the talk will recount hu- man tales of the men within the cockpit; our own, and the enemy; so to speak. The social dynamics of the Għawdxin in- teracting with enemy airmen varied from acts of compassion, to in some cases, more threat- ening and hostile tendencies. What did the Għawdxin make of foreign airmen, landing on their isle, and what did the air- men make of the Għawdxin? Speaker profile Matthew Curmi (b. 2001) is an engineer by profession from the Gozitan village of Nadur. Motivated by a childhood fas- cination with wartime aviation history, his first book ' Waqa' Ajruplon – Chronicles of Fallen Aircraft in Gozo' was published in 2025, by Midsea Books. Curmi be- gan researching the subject while pursuing his degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Malta. His work involved inter- viewing elderly Gozitans alongside extensive research in historical ar- chives, police occurrences, hospital admission records, and the family histories of downed airmen. The book highlights both the human dimension of wartime experiences and the folklore surrounding these events within the Gozitan commu- nity. Although Waqa' Ajruplon is written in English, Curmi is active- ly developing his creative writing in Maltese, with a focus on preserving local memory and Gozo's less- er-known historical narratives and social history in general. Book your place Seat reservations are encouraged in advance by sending an email to eventsgozo.library@gov.mt This event will take place on Wednesday 4 November, Gozo Central Public Library, St. Fran- cis Square (Pjazza San Franġisk), Victoria, Gozo (10.30 am - 11.30 am) For venue details, please vis- it the Facebook page of Gozo Cen- tral Public Library https://www. facebook.com/gozocentralpubli- clibrary Book Club Gozo acknowledges the generous support of Malta Libraries with this event. An illustrated talk by guest speaker Matthew Curmi at Gozo Central Library Matthew Curmi A World War II wreck