• Biography

    It all started at the Żejtun Primary School when my teacher, Ms. Callus, remarked that I should take good care of my writing as one day I could do wonders with it. Many years have passed from then on but I never forgot that encouraging comment. Although it took me quite some time to act upon it.

    I had always been a dreamer and therefore I longed for such positive stimulus from someone who believed in my potential to become a writer. Moreover, I aspired that one day, an opportunity would come when I will finally prove myself.

    Being an avid reader helped very much since it enhanced my writing skills and most of all my creativity. Meanwhile, as I grew up, I developed a particular sensitivity to listen to peoples’ souls rather than just to their uttered words and this is what made me different from other writers.

    From a young age I attempted to write poetry and then moved on to write short novels in Maltese with which I participated in a number of writing competitions. Some of my novels were winners; the most prestigious being the First Place by Għaqda Letterarja Maltija for ‘Il-Karijon’.

    As time went by, my reading began to focus on biographies of various people. I yearned to find the secret of their success. Ironically, I failed to understand that each one of us is the owner of one’s destiny. However, during my reading, I realized that most of these individuals passed through some turning point which eventually changed their lives. Certainly I never dreamt what my defining moment would be.

    It happened in 2008 when I was diagnosed with cancer caused by melanoma. I was terribly shocked. I was only 37 years old and I could die without ever having given myself the chance to fulfill that long-awaited childhood dream. I felt myself falling into a terrible void during which I was losing everything: my husband, my child, my parents, my brothers, my friends and myself.

    Doctors started operating me in order to help my body relieve itself from this malignant evil. Meanwhile, I started to work on my soul, trying to strengthen myself by promising that if God bestowed upon me the privilege to survive, this time I would not abandon my talent. The miracle was achieved and I kept my word.

    Soon, Aleks Farrugia, who was Torċa’s editor at the time, accepted to publish a feature which I wrote, and a few weeks after, he invited me to become a regular contributor in his newspaper. I was overjoyed and I will remain eternally grateful to this man.

    From then on, my writing started to be noticed and appreciated. Within a few years, I was awarded twice the Prix D’Honneur for Built Heritage by Din L-Art Ħelwa for my articles ‘Iċ-Ċimiterju b’għajnejn oħra’ (2009) u ‘Arti bl-għadam uman’ (2010).

    Once I grew stronger in my writing, I moved on to the next step in order to encourage others to make it and not to give up hope. My previous illness had helped me to understand how much life is precious to us. It also allowed me to perceive that life is full of such significant stories which somehow, someone, should tell. So that no one will ever be forgotten.

    By now, I receive much appreciation from my readers and this fills me with courage and blesses my soul. Yet my most precious feedback are the delighted looks which I get from people after I have published a feature about them.

     In 2013, I got a degree from the University of Malta in Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and Anthropology.

    Surely, I still love awards and I was quite enthralled when in 2014, Mr Gu Hongxing, the Director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta, invited me for a visit to China in recognition for my research and writing about China and its people.

     And the adventure continues….