Updated | Alex Vella Gera shuns National Book Award in protest

Vella Gera says he cannot attend prize-giving ceremony by Prime Minister over Net TV’s ‘libellous slander’

20 January 2011, 12:00am
by Matthew Vella

2 min read

Updated 6:48pm with Net TV statement

Alex Vella Gera, the author facing charges of obscenity for the short story Li Tkisser Sewwi he wrote for a university students’ pamphlet, has declared he will not attend the National Book Award that will be presented by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

Vella Gera said his non-attendance was in protest at the way Nationalist party TV station Net “had described Mark Camilleri and me as promoters of paedophilia. Not only is it an unacceptable accusation and libellous slander, but an allegation that lacks any professional or human ethic.”

Vella Gera’s short story, a first-person account of a depraved womaniser, was reported to the police by University rector Juanito Camilleri, after it appeared on the pamphlet Ir-Realtà, published by student Mark Camilleri.

Vella Gera said the news reports by Net TV had led to his decision not to attend a prize-giving ceremony attended by “a prime minister who leads a party that dictates such an editorial policy.”

In a statement, Net TV head of news Nathaniel Attard claimed Vella Gera was "asking for Net TV to be censored", saying the station was "surprised at someone who takes it against censorship [sic] to be asking for Net TV to be censored."

Attard also said the author had taken "no legal action in court or at the Broadcasting Authority" against the station's news reports and that Net "felt it had passed no judgement" on Vella Gera or Mark Camilleri.

Vella Gera is reportedly referring to news reports on Net TV on Labour MP Owen Bonnici's championing of the author's rights and against new obscenity laws that deal more severe punishments for 'indecent' fiction which a court might consider to be pornographic. Under these changeould have faced a maximum of 6 more months in prisons and a fine almost six times as much to reach a maximum of €3,000.

Vella Gera said that his position was coherent with the sense of protest of Li Tkisser Sewwi. “It’s a short story of protest against a particular literary expression that’s pretty much lapsed and cowardly. My absence tonight is my personal protest… how can I take seriously a promise to update obscenity laws when the punishment for this law is being increased?”

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

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hahahhaaaa yessssssssss, in malta we have everything that all other countries have in social life- if they are not by law still everyone is doing what one wants . we have many people who are cohabitating have children, many unmarried women /girls mothers. well even divorce we have here so who is against a divorce law is a clown. we allready have divorce here in maltese style- hundreds of seperated by law or non seperated by laws have companions even with new born children from their new relationship- so its all a farse and comedy from the PN in goverment not to make the divorce law- don't you see that still everyone is doing what they want, you clown! continue so foreigners will coninue to laugh at you, cause the people do not care what you say. i think you are living in a twilight zone not to know these things- censor censor even books ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhh - lollllllllllllllllllll

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The present cultural social and economic situation resembles the "muzzled" atmosphere of the 60's. Welcome to Malta: the pariah micro-state of the Mediterranean! What you want to read, is not what you get!" Holier than thou" brigade rules Ok! No condoms, no Ivf, no frozen embryos, no divorce, no freedom of expression. Welcome to the Liberal State!

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At AMNOTAFRAID Wouldn't it be a good idea to learn to express yourself properly, so at least we can understand your nonsense? Michael001 michael ,lillek ser nirrispondiek bil-malti. persuna ohra li forsi ma hijiex xi professur bhalek fehemet il-mesaggi ,inti li trida tal- bravu, kienet wisq difficli ghalik sabiex tifhem. LI RRID MIGHID LIL- DR.LAWRENCE GONZI HUWA DAN. "DR.LAWRENCE GONZI, IL-MUMENT TIEGHEK DALWAQT JASAL LI L-POPLU JTIK DAQQA TA SIEQ IL-BARRA MIT-TITLU TA PRIM MINISTRU. PERSUNA IPOKRITA BHAL DR.EDWARD EDDIE FENECH ADAMI LI GHAMEL KONKORDAT MAL VATIKAN FIL LIGI TAZ ZWIEG LI DAHHALA FIL-KOSTITUZZJONI TA MALTA FL-1993- U LI HUMA KONTRA LIGI TA DIVORZJU (META F'PAJJIZNA GHANDNA KAOS FI ZWIEGIJIET) GHALXEJN NIPRUVAW NITBISSMU BIEX NAHBU ,GHAX MALTA ZGHIRA WISQ) KONTRA DRITTIJIET TAL GAYS MA JISTGHUX JIZZEWGU ETC.. GHALHEKK INHEGGEG LIL DAWK KOLLHA LI JIXTIEQU LI DAWN IDDRITTIJIET JIDHLU MALAJR KEMM JISTA JKUN F'PAJJIZNA SABIEX MA JIVVUTAWX LIL DAK IL-PARTIT LI HUWA KONTRA DAWN ID-DRITTIJIET FUNDAMENTALI-BHAL PARTIT NAZZJONALISTA LI JIEN DEJEM IVVUTAJT SA MIL-1987! SEPARAZZJONIJIET ILLUM KWAZI F'KULL FAMILJA HAWN JEW SER IKUN HAWN JEKK MA NKUNUX AHNA T-TFAL TAGHNA JEW TFAL TA TFAL- IMBAGHAD IKUN TORT TAGHNA LI TFAL TAGHNA MA JKUNUX JISTGHU JIZZEWGU GHAX FORSI SMAJNA MIL-IPOKRITI. PARTIT LI HU IPOKRITA LI JIGI MIL-KAP.DI CENSURA KOLLHA KULHADD BIR RAGGIERA FUQ RASU F'DAN IL-PAJJIZ- DAN PAJJIZ TAL-IPOKRITI U XEJN AKTAR' MIN IMAQDAR IRID JIXTRI U L-QAHBA MILLI JKOLLA TAGHTIK- MICHAEL NAHSEB LI INTI MA INTIEX INJORANT U FHIMT XRID NGHID , MINIEX XI ESPERT TAL LETTERATURA PERO NIPROVA . ALLURA NAHSEB LI INTI GHANDEK XI HAGA MA L-IPOKRITI . NAHSEB GHANDEK XTITLEF JIEN JEKK MA JIBQGHUX FIL-POTER- IMSOMMA IL-VERITA HI LI DAN HU PARTIT PAJJIZ TAL-IPOKRITI MIN MA JAQBILX MA DIN HUWA IPOKRITA 100%

Alfred Galea •

@Citizen I read it...there's nothing about priests or are priests the only pedophiles?? And when pedophelia is mentioned priests are what comes to mind?

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@Joe Read the article, Joe - the part about Net TV. That is the connection.

Alfred Galea •

What do pedophile priests have to do with this guy and the prize-giving ceremony??

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Gonzi, why don't you do something about pedophile priests instead of letting the Church run the show? Your Catholic government is complicit by its failure to act in the protection of pedophile priests. And by failure to act I mean updating legislation that allows the Church to get away with such abuse.

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Good for you Alex. Having protected pedophiles for years in this country, PN through their on-air-vomitarium are now accusing other people of the same crime. Dear Gonzi, if Alex was a pedophile, he would have joined the Maltese roman catholic church and enjoyed the protection of your government. As for NET TV - kif jgid il-Malti, il-qahba milli jkolla t-tiek.

Albert Zammit •

At AMNOTAFRAID Wouldn't it be a good idea to learn to express yourself properly, so at least we can understand your nonsense?

Luke Camilleri •

Quite diplomatic of Alex Vella Gera to shun National Book Award in protest.. If it was me, I'd also them where to shove it ...

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100% Ma’ Alex Vella Gera fuq din. Dan tassew pajjiz ta’ ‘oqbra mbajda’. Kif shaqt fuq ir-radio qabel u bloggjajt nhar is-sittax ta’ Gunju li ghadda: “Xi haga tinten fl-istat tad-Danimarka” meta mal-ewwel jittella’ l-Qorti artist u fil-kazi tal-efebofilija fl-istituti, ghadu ma ttella’ hadd il-qorti, jista’ jkun li ghax ma jkunux mill-Magreb. Il-ktiba li tat skandlu mhux ta’ idejn it-tfal, bhal ma humiex is-“Simpozju”, il-“Bacchae”, “Lisistrata”, id-“Decameron” u nista’ nibqa’ sejjer ad infinitum. Jaf ukoll ma jkunx ta’ idejn dawn l-oqbra mbajda li taparsi skandalizzaw ruhhom bil-kitba minflok jaghtu fuq sidirhom u jiflu l-ghala fuq it-28% tat-trabi fl-ewwel tlitt xhur dis-sena, twieldu lil nisa mhux mizzewga [283 minn 1,003] u li r-rata ta’ wild lil nisa fl-axijiet oghla minn 6.6% [is-sena li ghaddiet 277 minn 4,180]. Il-kittieb qallhom il-ghalhiex, b’kitba stil Jean Genet; kitba ta’ qawwa li ftit deheret fil-Malti. Sa mill-bidu nett wissihom li l-ghemejjel irresponsabbli jafu ‘jkissru’ u dmir min iwettaqhom ‘isewwihom’, ghalhekk semmiegha “Li tkisser sewwi”. Qallhom ixommu l-intejjen tal-pajjiz li sawwru, u minlok perrcu u bdew inaddfu l-hmieg mahluq minnhom, iridu joqtlu l-messaggier. Dejjem hekk kienet ix-xorti tal-profeti f’pajjizhom. Izda meta l-istorja tinkiteb, il-Farizej jidhru ta’ li huma u l-profeti wkoll. Ahjar naqra li ttellghu il-Qorti kotriet fuq korruzzjoni, milli artist ta’ kuragg li gholla mera quddiem min, ghalhekk, tmezmez mill-hmieg li ra, ghax gharaf li kien fih, mhux fil-kittieb.” Xhieda wkoll tal-pwerilita tat-tmexxija ta’ dik li suppost l-ghola instituzzjoni intelletwali tal-pajjiz. Imisshom jisthu.

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@ David Caruana The PN increased their salary by euro 500 when they are asking people for sacrifices whilst all the LP Mp's are against it. B) LP introduced in Malta social services and the PN is saying we need to pay more taxes to keep them going. C) LP introduced Air Malta PN is saying we need to reform it as it is now loosing money. D) LP introduced Pension the PN increased its age to 65 The list will never end the truth about PN that Money and I come first is finally showing the people has a realistic choice that to vote for capitalism the rules based by money for the rich or social democracy the richest help the needy. Differences do exist. And by the way it was LP who struggled for the Maltese language and litreature ask Manuel Dimech also it was the LP who brought real freedom from opression for the Maltese. It was the LP who introduced a President in Malta. It was the LB who introduced free schools and for everyone. It was the LB who introduced free health service in Malta. THE PN introduced MARS chocolates and Debts anfd a 500 euro weekly pay rise for themselves which you and I are today paying it all back from our pockets. The Difference is getting clearer every day Pity the LP is always elected when the middle class standards get poor and fail elections after theey are lifted from misery. Selfishness rules this world. Solidarity is easy to preach not easy to act it though.

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@ AmNotAfraid: And who's promising to protect these rights? Joseph Muscat?! The same guy (and party) who voted in favour of harshening the censorship laws? The same guy who promised a lame "free vote" in regards to divorce?! The same guy who miraculously expects to please both moderates AND progressives?! PN and PL are 2 sides of the same coin. The people need to start using their heads and realise that the ONLY solution is to bring down this PNPL farce... and believe me, there are Alternatives ;-)

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Vella Gera says he cannot attend prize-giving ceremony by Prime Minister over Net TV’s ‘libellous slander’ Dr.lawrence gonzi would give you a nice ironic smile if you went- Dr.lawrence gonzi - thumbs down- dr.lawrence gonzi , your time will come don't worry- sooner or later ;-) you will be kicked off from prime minister- anti divorce , extreme censorship no gay rights etc. etc.. urge the popel in favour of the human rights to protest by saying that they will vote only to whom promise these rights-