My essentials: Vince Micallef Pule’s cultural picks

1. Book

Paul Bartolo’s X’Kien Ġara Sew fis-Sette Giugno is the last book I read. I love reading about Maltese history and the events that shaped our nation’s autonomy and independence. The book struck me because it is meticulously researched and because rather than getting lost in patriotic rhetoric, it is devoted to carefully researched facts which expose the lesser-known and uncomfortable truth that emerges from them.

2. Film/TV

For anyone like me, who’s an avid watcher of psychological thrillers, “The Sinner”, which airs on Netflix, cannot be missed. After a long wait, I recently watched the 4th and final season of this anthology series that examines how and why ordinary people commit brutal crimes. In this final instalment, the main character – detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) is set to retire, but an unexpected event turns his holiday into a whodunit.

3. Internet 

I mostly follow news on the internet. Definitely the most inspiring news for me recently was our own Roberta Metsola’s historic election as President of the European Parliament. On a national level, her election as the first Maltese to head an EU institution should make us all proud.

4. Music

My favourite song is “September Morn” by Neil Diamond. It is an emotional song that reminds me of my wife and daughter, who were both born in September. Although this song is about a couple who have come back together after a break in their relationship, it brings back sweet memories of when I used to play it to my daughter when she was much younger and telling her that I had written the song for her.

5. Place

A place I definitely wish to travel to in the future is New York City. It’s been on my bucket list for ages. Among the reasons I wish to go there is to experience the magic of Broadway, which is home to over 40 theatres, and which is why it offers some of the best live theatre on the planet.