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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 JANUARY 2015 Evarist Bartolo Opinion 21 Alex Vella Gera had aptly sub- titled his refusal of last year's Republic Day award with the legendary warning to the Trojans not to accept that fateful horse. The rebuff, based on the suspicion of becoming yet another political pawn, has become as proverbial as the classic quote, after a recent hatchet job by It-Torca (Mintoff, KMB u s-Sriep Velenuzi f 'Kastilja, 14 December, 2014), that took to task the seemingly anti-Labour bias of the National Book Award ceremony. Although the anonymous arti- cle's gripes were based on discon- tent with Mark Camilleri's appar- ently heav y handed management of the National Book Council, the story's main thrust simply belies any perceived change in attitudes towards culture and the moments when it gets uncomfortable. The article questioned the anti-Labourite sentiment of last year's winning novel, Vella Gera's Is-Sriep Religjuzi Saru Velenuzi, of which an excerpt was read at the award ceremony; naively forget- ting that Camilleri, the current chairman, had publicly endorsed Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici's electoral bid, having certainly never hidden his political leanings. Not to forget that Camilleri was also in the eye of the cyclone as publisher of the notorious Li Tkisser Sewwi short story that shot him and author Vella Gera to an unlikely fame and a long drawn saga on censorship and literature. Camilleri and Vella Gera's vic- tory at the courts may have been heralded as a watershed for free- dom of expression, maybe even a minor tremor from Labour's social 'earthquake'. The PL media had indeed caught on the story at a time where the PN government was grappling with all sorts of crises, and an event like this also served to cast a shadow on the state of artistic liberty in Malta. Vella Gera subsequently found himself lobbed from one side to the other of the partisan net: the PN's newsroom, which had formerly tried to associate him with paedophilia while actively supporting his prosecution, then capitalised, once the party was in opposition, on his apparently anti- government statement. Today, the ball's back in another court. It-Torca's hatchet might seem blunted by a weak attempt at objectivity and balance: it strives to state that the chosen excerpt is still valid literature had it been read in a more appropriate context, but it still strikes deadly blows. Probably unfamiliar with the novel, which is an original analysis of class and power and a vibrant re-reading of partisan political narrative, the anonymous writer takes to task a character's analysis of Mintoff and KMB. Ironically however, Vella Gera's novel is anything but f lattering of the PN's narrative of the Eighties or its subsequent remoulding of Maltese society. Indeed, a stand- ard dualistic myopia could easily classif y Sriep as Labour-leaning. The naive reporter (or the mali- cious informer) surely had other axes to grind, and the article even suggests a pacif ying par condicio by proposing that some sort of partisan balance could have been struck by also reading an extract of Mario Cutajar's (current head of the civil service) Mintoff hagi- ography. Obviously, the point of the whole book award ceremony, and also of literature is missed: not only does the claim for Cutajar's book hold any water, since it was a winner of a minor category and thus cannot measure with the importance the Book Council has always attributed to the novel; but it also skirts the issue of litera- ture as a vital form of cultural discourse that can shake the staid foundations of language, society and partisan political interest. Political doldrums and the banishment to the wilderness of opposition are not only the results of purely political and economic choices. Culture, in all its varied nuances, plays a crucial part, not only in isolated aftershocks like the recurrent Vella Gera dis- cussion, but also in the general perception of thegovernment's attitude to expression. Both Labour and the PN have been there, from the repression of the Eighties to the vague anti- liberal and conservative murmurs that culminated in the abstention on the civil marriage vote. But for Labour to promote its new image beyond the spectacle of reform, even minor incidents like the Torca article should be monitored, as they betray the real attitude of party structures and apparatchiks to any form of discussion that goes beyond the parameters set by power. It is also high time that that book awards are moved away from Castille (another of the article's qualm was the politically blas- phemous desecration of power's sancta sanctorum) towards a public forum independent from any such interference. The National Book Council should also take on another legal form, such as a sort of quasi-NGO format, which though funded by the government and accountable to it, still retains a consider- able autonomy and does not do anyone's political bidding. It is in the interest of freedom of cultural expression, and could also serve as a step towards a more dynamic participation of the book industry in the nation's cultural life. Mark Vella is the author of the novel 'X'Setà Gralu lil Kevin Cacciattolo?', published by Merlin Pope Francis speaks to us A few short days before Christmas Day, Pope Francis delivered a landmark speech during his customary address to those who run the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church – the Vatican. The 78-year-old Pontiff was speaking to the Cardinals and Bishops who govern and administer the Church. He spoke about the ailments and the warnings of such governance but he could easily have been addressing the world's leaders as most of the issues he raised apply to all of us. In what is normally an offering of Christmas greetings, Pope Francis unexpectedly criticised the ills of bureaucracy and power- mongering. He said that there was too much micro-management and too little co-ordination. He presented a list of ailments, denouncing the 'pathology of power', and he particularly criticised the 'terrorism of gossip' as being a sickness of cowardly people who do not have the courage to speak directly. He also referred to those who use their powers to discredit others, even in newspapers and magazines, as people who have a sickness of showing off. None of these so-called 'sins' are exclusive to Vatican leaders, they are far too common among non- spiritual leaders of the world. Pope Francis listed 15 ailments, most of which serve as a warning to all those who govern and administer society in general. In fact, the Pope has set out to reform the Vatican's civil service and he has emphasised that we should rid ourselves of the 'disease' of feeling 'immortal and essential'. He clearly said that these maladies are a danger for any administrative organisation. While referring to a Curia that doesn't criticise and update itself as a sick body, it is clear that such self-assessment and critique is essential to any good governance. He advocates co-ordination among leaders to ensure a more humanitarian approach towards social inclusion. The Pope spoke about 'Spiritual Alzheimer's' but this is also applicable to 'Political Alzheimer's' wherein some politicians govern for themselves rather than their people. Sometimes we tend to give too much attention to obtaining power and too little to the use of that power for the good of the country. We cannot lose contact with the people and this is why it is important to keep in touch with the people's needs and wants. His Holiness said that people who court their superiors with the intention of progression in their work are victims of careerism and opportunism. Again, this is definitely one of the problems that we encounter in our daily life. We must stop being indifferent to others and try to help and encourage those that need our help rather than enjoying other people's misfortunes. Pope Francis also spoke about the dangers of forming closed circles that seek to be stronger than the whole. "This sickness always starts with good intentions but as times go by, it enslaves its members by becoming a cancer that threatens the harmony of the body and causes so much bad scandals especially to our younger brothers," he said. We have much to learn from Pope Francis. Although he was addressing the Princes of the Church, his speech is a most valid communiqué to all those who govern and lead in the name of the people. Let us hope that in the New Year we can deal with the issues raised, heed these warnings and work together towards a reform that will provide our peoples with better lives and understanding. Evarist Bartolo is Minister of Education and Employment YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt Mark Vella Beware of Greeks bearing gifts