For International Women’s Day, Esther Lafferty talks to the author of the bright and bubbly children’s book Amazing Maltese Women, Kristina Checuti, a book primarily designed for primary school children. Four years after its publication, it seems timely to suggest it’s added to the bookshelves of a new cohort of our youngsters.
Why did you think it was important to write this book?
If we look at Malta’s oral and written culture, we’d be forgiven for thinking that only men have shaped the history of Malta. Is it possible that over the centuries there were no brave, talented women who left a mark on Malta?
So, with this book I wanted to write women back into our history. And I wanted children to get to know these gutsy women, women with the courage to stand up, to go against the current, to challenge the system and to get the job done.
The more I researched the more I kept coming across women from all eras, and all walks of life, who resonated with me. Their story made me think: would I have been as determined if I were in their shoes?
I hope that children can draw strength from these real-life stories. Maltese children – be it boys or girls – need women role models. We have a very vivid image of male power. That power structure needs to change – because we are a society equally made up of men and women and we can only do that through education.
I did not stick to a particular period. The book, in fact, cuts across the ages: from Tina the prehistoric Maltese woman who lived in an impressively egalitarian society in Ġgantija, Gozo about 5000 years ago; to Amy Camilleri Zahra one of the most influential activists for disability rights who lives in B’Kara.
I wanted to show children that some of these women who had followed their heart and had let no one dampen their determination, did not only exist in the past, but they can meet them or bump into them even today, like Esther Azzopardi who’s a UEFA football referee.
What does your daughter think about Amazing Maltese Women?
My daughter Pippa planted the seed for this book. Being a sucker for feminism and for books, meant that my daughter’s shelves were, heaving under the weight of women power. Rebel Girls, Fantastically Great Women, Big Dreams – you name it, she’s read it. One day she came with one of the books in hand and said to me: “Mama, why is it that there is never any one from Malta in the books?”
“She has a point,” I thought to myself. “Is it possible that over the centuries there were no brave, talented women who left a mark on Malta? Has our society been shaped only by men? One thing led to another and the book was born. She loved all the characters – but her favourite hands down was Antoinette Miggiani – she had picked for the Mother Superior role in the Sound of Music movie but ended up having to refuse it. She also loved Mary Ellul as the strong woman who saved many a life during World War II and, of course Daphne, whom she had met in person.
Who is your favourite?
The most emotional part of the book was writing about Daphne Caruana Galizia, a friend and fellow journalist. She was the first one on my list, but the last story I wrote. How far could I go in explaining her brutal state-funded assassination seeing as this was a book for children? In the end I decided to be very open about what happened. Children do not live in Disneyland. It is important for them to know what is happening around them in a language they can understand. The better we prepare them for the real world, the better citizens and leaders our society will have in future.
What were the most interesting and or amusing things you discovered as you researched the characters’ backgrounds?
One important thing to highlight is that these stories are not hagiographies. These are women just like me and you, with a lot of imperfections – and we feature them as they are. For example, we do not try to hide Agatha Barbara’s penchant for swearing in public, but then we show her contribution to the education system.
And last but not least…
The book truly came to life really when Marisa came on board as the illustrator. Her ink and watercolours illustrations made it possible to narrate the story comic-like, so the story reads almost like a conversation. And Marisa’s wit comes across so deftly in her drawings – children will pick up all her little nuances and clues (check out the hilarious rag doll in Henrietta Chevalier’s story). Marisa and I then worked with designer Faye Paris, whose layout brought the book together. A veritable all-girl team!
Read the Time2 book review.
You can order your copy from Merlin Publishers.