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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 MARCH 2017 This Week 33 WHAT'S ON On March 29 at 20:00, the Manoel Theatre will present Belgian-Na- tional David Campignon who will be performing a piano recital. David Campignon was born in Japan, where he studied piano with the late Puig-Roget and Yasukawa. At the age of 15, he moved to France and studied piano performance, at CNR de Saint Maur (where he was awarded three gold médals in 1990) and won numerous prizes of excel- lency in piano performance. He has performed in concerts throughout France: in Paris at the Salle Gaveau, Fondation des Etats- Unis, Salle Franck-Schola, église Paris-Luxembourg St Marcel, Bethanie, Auditorium Saint Germain des Prés, édition Ilyfunet Atelier de la main d'or, Par- oisse Breuteruil Paris 7e. Campignon is a winner of sev- eral competitions, and has re- ceived prices including 1st Prize with Absolute Majority in 2000 at Villa Franca Tirrena Sicily Italy, Demi-Finaliste Diploma of Honour status at Maria Canals Barcelone, amongst many other awards and recognitions. David Campignon has also pre- viously performed in Malta. Mal- tese Music critic Albert Storace had written: "[David Campignon] showed that Schubert could make his point with the greatest of charm… He was the one who could make the piano sing. The other side of Schubert is there too: the dra- matic passages, the pathos, lyrical warmth and high passion. Many different emotions went through a transition that developed accord- ing to bold rhythmic structure and always with Campignon's assertive yet elegant, tasteful touch." On this occasion, David Cam- pignon will be performing Pieces from Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofieff, Chorale Prelude in F. Minor by Bach-Busoni, Sonata in G. Minor Didone Abbondonata by Clementi, Ballade in F. Major by Chopin, Variations by Brahms – Pagani, and Three Movements from Petrouschka by Stravinsky. Tickets for the concert can be be purchased by contacting the Teat- ru Manoel Booking Office on 2124 6389, bookings@teatrumanoel.com. mt, or by visiting www.teatruma- noel.com.mt. Senior citizens and students are eligible for discounted tickets for this concert, on presentation of relevant documentation Belgian pianist performs at the Manoel David Campignon Performing Arts Festival on campus: promoting the arts and provoking discussion The second edition of the US- PA Performing Arts Festival on campus will be held between the 5 and 6 April 2017. The festival is dedicated to celebrating all as- pects of the performing arts and serves as a means of creating an environment that encourages creativity, expression, dialogue and improvisation. USPA is collaborating with various local entities, practition- ers and student organisations, including: Valletta 2018 Founda- tion, ŻfinMalta, Opening Doors Association, Malta Improv Group, Electronic Music Malta, SACES, Denise Mulholland, Pe- ter Paul (Tribali) and the School of Performing Arts (UoM). The festival includes various performances and jamming ses- sions and the space (designed by architecture students) will in- clude a main performance space, and corners for creative expres- sion. A special edition of USPA's series of events 'BOOST' will be held. Entitled Why so National?, the debate will discuss the role of national performance companies in the 21st century with the ar- tistic/strategic leaders of Teatru Malta, Żfin Malta, Malta Phil- harmonic Orchestra, and Arts Council Malta. The events is supported by the Aġenzija Żgħażagħ BeActive Scheme, the KSU Culture and Sports Fund and the School of Performing Arts – University of Malta. For a full programme of events, log on to: https://goo.gl/LhkNby About USPA USPA — University Students of Performing Arts Association — was founded in 2015 as a stu- dent association on campus. The festival is the culmination of one of the association's aims: to place the performing arts at the fore- front of campus life. The per- forming arts are viewed from a variety of viewpoints: academic, recreational, performative, edu- cational and as a means of out- reach – all of which are at the ba- sis of USPA's approach towards the performing arts. Walid Nabhan: Malta's highlight at London Book Fair 2017 This year's highlight for Malta at the London Book Fair was Walid Nabhan with his novel L-Eżodu taċ-Ċikonji, originally published in Maltese by Klabb Kotba Maltin. A profoundly unsettling but moving tale of Nabil, a Palestinian refugee caught up in the various dilem- mas of the here-and-there and the then-and-now, the novel won the National Book Prize for prose in 2014. It is the first Maltese award- winning novel to be written by a non-native speaker and, as such, it marks a watershed in the history of modern Maltese literature. Nabhan, who is a relatively new voice in the local literary scene, was born in Amman, Jordan in 1966 to a Palestinian refugee family. His family originated in a small village in the outskirts of Hebron, Pales- tine. Growing up in Jordan as the son of a Palestinian refugee family, Nabhan experienced directly the unfairness of a system that views families like his as second-class citi- zens. After a spell as an engineering student in Yugoslavia, he was con- scripted into the Jordanian army, where served for two years, most of which he spent in an army out- post in the desert. It was during this time that he first felt the urging and thoughts that were to shape both his prose and poetry. With the help of his brother, then a radio operator at the Palestinian Embassy, Nabhan eventually came to Malta in 1990, where he studied laboratory technology, graduating in Biomedical Sciences from Bristol University in England in 1998. In 2003 he gained a masters degree in Human Rights and Democratisa- tion from the University of Malta. It was during this time, a little over 10 years after he arrived in Malta, that Nabhan started writ- ing in Maltese. Since then he has published two collections of short stories in Maltese; Lura d-Dar u ġrajjet oħra li ma ġrawx (2009) and "Leħen tal-Fuħħar" (2012), and a collection of poems Fi Triqti Lejha (2014). His poetry and articles have appeared in several publications and anthologies. Arguably, though, L-Eżodu taċ-Ċikonji is the most autobiographical of all his work to date. Ever since this novel won the Na- tional Book Prize in 2014, L-Eżodu taċ-Ċikonji has been promoted as one of the country's major literary exports. Thanks to this strategy and the continuous support from Klabb Kotba Maltin, L-Eżodu taċ-Ċikonji will be published both in the UK and Lebanon. The London Book Fair took place over March 14-16 Walid Nabhan Programme of activities for the National Feast of Freedom Day 2017 The National Festivities Committee announces the following activities in celebration of the 38th anniversary of Freedom Day Friday, 31st March, 2017 COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONY 10:30 Band march that begins from Triq ix-Xatt, Cospicua, continues through St Lawrence Street, Vittoriosa, and ends at the Freedom Day Monument in Birgu. 10:45 Arrival of the band and a detachment of the Armed Forces at the Freedom Day Monument. 10:50 Arrival of the Commander of the Armed Forces. 10:53 Arrival of the Leader of the Opposition. 10:55 Arrival of the Prime Minister. 11:00 Arrival of the President of Malta. The President of Malta inspects the Guard of Honour. The President of Malta along with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition walk to the top of the Monument. The Freedom Hymn and a fanfare are played and flowers are laid at the foot of the Monument. The National Anthem is played. REGATTA 13:00 Traditional Regatta in the Grand Harbour organised by SportMalta. Traditional Maltese boat races will take place, including Boats A tal-Midalji – Frejgatini, Boats C tal-Pass – Kajjikki, and Boats B tal-Pass in both Open and Reserves categories. Trophies and special prizes will be presented after each race. The Shield presentation will take place once all the races are finished. Shields will be awarded to the clubs who obtain the highest amount of points in both the Open and Reserves categories respectively.