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Author Frans Sammut passes away
Frans Sammut, author of Samuraj and Il-Gagga, has passed away at the age of 66.
The author Frans Sammut has passed away at the age of 66.
News of his death was communicated by Labour party sources this morning. He had been reportedly severely ill for some time. "Sammut was a revolutionary who always appealed for social justice and inclusive education. He was a foremost historian of Maltese language," the PL said in a statement.
The Nationalist party said the country had lost a pillar of Maltese literature.
Sammut was a co-founder of the Moviment Qawmien Letterarju in 1967 along with literary contemporaries Mario Azzopardi, Albert Marshall, Raymond Mahoney, Oliver Friggieri, and Victor Fenech amongst others.
His novel Samuraj portrayed a backward village suffocated by the influence of the Catholic Church, with its main protagonist refusing to buckle under the power of authority - a metaphor for post-independence Malta. The book won the 1974 Rothmans Prize for Literature.
Il-Gagga was made into a film in 1971 (Cage) written and directed by Mario Azzopardi, who was a film student at the time. The film was originally made as a thesis, but was released in 2007 due to its cultural importance, being the first feature film made in with a script entirely in Maltese.
Sammut’s other publications include Labirint u Stejjer Ohra (1968), Il-Holma Maltija (1994) and Newbiet (1997). He also wrote a historical account of the French Revolution Ir-Rivoluzzjoni Franciza (1989).
In 1996 he served as an advisor on cultural policy to Prime Minister Alfred Sant. He also served as secretary to Sant's commission on the future of the family.
Sammut was married to Catherine Cachia and was the father of Mark Anthony, and Jean-Pierre.
duncan abela •
Frans Sammut was a true intellectual not afraid to express his measured views even when they challenged conventional wisdom. I got to know him about ten years ago when together we shared common ideals and beliefs in a national campaign. I always enjoyed discussing with him a range of topics especially on the nature and socio cultural traits of Maltese society. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable as was his love for Maltese culture. I would like to express my deep condolences to his family on this sad and untimely loss.
Mark Fenech •
Frans, illum kont il-veru mdejjaq. Bdejt nisma fuq il-mewt tiegħek il-bieraħ it-Tlieta xi 8 ta' bil-lejl. Kont naf li marid sewwa u ġejt anke narak l-isptar, imma xorta ma ridtx nemmem. Dal-lejl ma rqad kważi xejn, naħseb fuqek.
Frans u jiena ta' l-istess eta konna fl-istess klassi fil-primarja. Għandi ritratt tal-klassi ta' 1953. Bqajna ħbieb kbar, allavolja morna f'toroq differenti tal-ħajja.
Ma Frans erġajt ħdimt mill-qrib dawn l-aħħar sentejn, meta produċa żewġ akkademji fil-Każin tal-Banda San Filep AD1851, f'Jannar 2010 biex fakkarna Żebbuġi bravu ieħor Joe A. Grima u fi Frar ta' din is-sena fakkarna l-50 anniversarju mill-mewt tal-Poeta Nazzjonali Dun Karm. Frans kien perfezzjonist, irid ikun żgur li kulħadd jikkontribwixxi b'modd professjonali.
Frans, Żebbuġi ieħor kbir li ma jintesa' qatt. Mulej għatih il-mistrieħ ta' dejjem u għati l-faraġ lill-familjari tiegħu.
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I'm deeply saddened by this sudden loss. I am sure he still had so much more to offer. At least he is now free and out of this cage as not much has really changed from when he wrote his books...
Luke Camilleri •
A very sad loss, but will be always remembered fondly by his literary works , his love for everything Maltese , his strenght of character , positive values and consistency!
Sincere condolences to his family, and numerous friends of the same ideals.
•
Zebbugi bhali. Mill-istess hâra tieghi ta' l-Infetti. Tista tghid li trabbejna u kbirna flimkien. Membru bhali Onorat tal-Moviment Qawmien Letterarju. L-ahhar li ltqajt mieghu kien fi Frar li ghadda fil-kommemorazzjoni tal-50 anniversarju mill-mewt ta' Dun Karm Psaila fil-Kazin tal-Banda San Filep meta l-Ghaqda ta' dan il-Kazin ghogobha taghtina gieh u ghamlitna lili u lilu presidenti Onorarji tal-Ghaqda. Frans jien cert li Malta kollha tibki t-telfa tieghek fl-istess waqt li isseddqek ghal kitbietek. Minn hawn insellimlek u j'Alla il-familja tieghek tissabbar ghat-telfa li garbet.
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Frans Sammut ta kontribut kbir fl-istudji dwar Mikiel Anton Vassalli u kien l-awtur li rega hareg il-Lexicon tieghu mal-Sensiela Kotba Socjalisti. Espert anki fil-Malti qadim, huwa minn dejjem kien hawtiel biex dan il-pajjiz jindokra l-identita tieghu u jsawwarha b'mod ghaqli u li ma tigix imwarrba u minsija. Grazzi Frans talli kont tassew generuz maghna. Il-ghomor lill-familja tieghu.
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A sad day for Maltese literature.
