First published in March 1925, Il-Malti was one of the first efforts of the Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti (founded in 1920) to encourage the use of a written standard.
The Għaqda was formed by 36 authors who met on a rainy Sunday to devise an alphabet for a language that was still tentatively putting down its roots in literature.
During its first four years, the group toiled to publish its alphabet (1921) and its normative manual of orthography and grammar in a book called Tagħrif fuq il-Kitba Maltija (1924).
Once the foundations were laid, the Għaqda sought to promote its newly formed rules for writing Maltese and secure its own existence by publishing a periodical.
In a timeline of the Għaqda’s primary events, published in the June 1975 edition of Il-Malti (2nd issue), Godfrey Zarb Adami mentions that a commission was set up on November 1, 1924, with the aim of writing a report about the possibility of publishing a periodical that would be the Għaqda’s organ.
Although no more information is given about the committee, it is clear that the Għaqda decided in favour of publishing such a periodical, as evidenced by an advert by Franġisku Saverju Caruana, the Għaqda’s first secretary, published in the newspapers Il-Ħmar (January 14, 1925) and Il-Ħabib (January 15, 1925).
Caruana informed the readers that the Għaqda was going to publish a quarterly 24-page ‘book’. The periodical would include articles about the Maltese language and other areas of general knowledge, such as religion, arts and crafts.
Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi, a widely published author and the first president of the Għaqda, was to be the periodical’s first editor.
Paid-up members of the Għaqda would acquire a free copy, whereas others had to pay six pence for each copy, or one shilling and six pence for a yearly subscription. Payments, writings and anything else that had to do with Il-Malti had to be sent to the secretary.
The first issue, published in March 1925, was printed in the Empire Press whose director was Caruana himself. In a later autobiographical note, Caruana stated that this press was a useful instrument for the Maltese language as it published various books with the Għaqda’s alphabetic and orthographic system.
The aims of Il-Malti were highlighted by Muscat Azzopardi in his first editorial. He insisted that Il-Malti would not get involved in politics, feasts and activities of the sort but “distribute [among its readers] good reading of Maltese”.
Writers contributed diverse writings: from prose to poetry, from history to religion, from orthography to the skill of writing
By “good reading”, Muscat Azzopardi meant both the correct writing of Maltese (orthography) and even writing in general, which could redound to the readers’ education.
These two principal aims echoed Caruana’s arguments five years back, in a letter he published in Il-Ħabib on September 21, 1920, calling for the founding of the Għaqda.
A list of contributors who wrote in the first issue of Il-Malti hints at the academic and literary level of this periodical, even though some names perhaps do not ring a bell today: Muscat Azzopardi, Dun Karm Psaila, Temi Zammit, Mgr Paolo Cauchi, Karmnu Sant, Ġużè Gatt, Ninu Cremona, F.S. Caruana, Mgr Carlo Cortis, Ġużè Micallef Goggi and Salvu Agius.
These writers contributed with diverse writings: from prose to poetry, from history to religion, from orthography to the skill of writing.
The editor published positive comments about the publication of the Tagħrif fuq il-Kitba Maltija, which was being promoted locally and abroad.
In order to further promote the use of the Għaqda’s orthography, Muscat Azzopardi encouraged the contributors to buy the Tagħrif and abide by its orthographical rules when writing their articles.
He also offered writers the possibility to send drafts of their books to be corrected in line with the new orthography by members of the Għaqda, provided that the author would then publish the book in accordance with the Għaqda’s orthography.
In the years that followed, the Għaqda kept promoting Il-Malti in local newspapers and even organised writing competitions for students, with the aim of dispersing the new orthography.
Il-Malti is still published to this day and contains writings of all sorts related to the Maltese language. It has stood the test of time and was even published during World War II.
The Għaqda, now called Akkademja tal-Malti, takes pride in publishing a periodical that still observes its original aims: promoting standard Maltese writing and teaching readers through literature, linguistics and other areas.
This centenarian, the first periodical that was wholly published in standard Maltese orthography, remains a strong link between the historical efforts of authors to standardise Maltese and the efforts of contemporary authors to present the national language as appealing and relevant in today’s society.
Daniel Attard is the author of L-ewwel Snin tal-Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti (2024).
