My essentials: Charles Sammut’s cultural picks

1. Book

One? Noooooo. Ok then. As a lover of the fantastical, I must mention a Neil Gaiman book, The Ocean and the End of the Lane. I tend to follow Young Adult literature a lot, and I feel that there is a lot of creativity happening in this genre. The themes in these books are becoming darker and more relevant to the younger generation with whom I constantly interact through my teaching.

2. Film

Oh, there are so many. Where to begin? I love the gothic genre with a passion. The Lighthouse keeps coming to mind with its chiaro-scuro tinges and the slow spiralling of madness in the two main characters. Lovers of psychological drama and the surreal should certainly give this a watch if they have not already.

3. Internet/TV

I use the internet daily, but mainly to keep up with current affairs. I tend to watch TV to help me unwind, and there are several good TV series at the moment. As an avid lover of anything related to the Lord of the Rings lore, I am presently hooked by The Rings of Power series. A majestic and well-scripted series indeed.

4. Music

My musical tastes are eclectic and vary from classical to industrial music with a bit of trip-hop in-between. But here I have to mention Kate Bush and Tori Amos, who have a legacy of innovative work in their music composition and lyrics. Their music is sheer poetry and should be part of any music lover’s library.

5. Place

Mdina has to be my go-to place in Malta. I love its historic little alleys and the silence that pervades them, especially in the evenings. Nothing better than walking through its dark, mysterious heart on a cold winter’s night; the air is infused with history. Moreover, a place very close to my heart abroad would be Kent in the UK, where I have studied and still need to discover further.