The authors

Simon Bajada is one of the most prominent and influential figures in the world of food and travel photography. A former chef, he has authored three cookbooks on Baltic and Nordic cuisine. In addition to Food & Wine, his photography and recipes have appeared in Delicious, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, and others.

Simon Bajada worked as a professional chef and food stylist for a decade before pursuing a career in photography full-time. He published his first cookbook, The New Nordic in 2015, followed by Nordic Light in 2016 and Baltic in 2019, which focused on the cuisines of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Bajada was awarded 1st prize at the Pink Lady Food Photography Awards in 2019. He is a regular contributor to various food and travel publications, including Afar, National Geographic, House & Garden, and Gourmet Traveler. His latest cookbook, Malta: Mediterranean Recipes From The Islands, which focuses on the food of his cultural heritage, was published in July 2023.

Simon Bajada graduated from the University of South Australia where he studied marketing management. He is also a graduate of the International College of Hotel Management.

Current location: Stockholm, Sweden

Jeffrey Sammut was born in 1977 and was educated at the Archbishop’s Minor Seminary, Rabat. He later graduated as a teacher from the University of Malta. Currently, he works with the National Literacy Agency and is also the Librarian of the Mellieħa Branch Library.

In 2007, Jeffrey Sammut was the co-author of the book ‘AnaliżiSoċjo-ekonomika u Ambjentalital-Mellieħa’, published by the Gużè Ellul Mercer Foundation.

In 2018, Jeffrey Sammut started writing articles for the Times and the Sunday Times of Malta. These mainly focus on life in Malta during the Second World War. He is also the author of several features about the history of Mellieħa in periodicals published by voluntary organisations in his hometown. Jeffrey Sammut writes children’s stories for the Mellieħa Local Council Magazine ‘Il-Qiegħa għat-Tfal’.

In 2019, he was the editor of the book ‘Mellieħa through the Tides of Time – Volume 2’, published by the Mellieħa Local Council.

Jeffrey Sammut was affiliated with various voluntary groups including ‘Nixxiegħa Kulturali’ and ‘Arkeo’, the aim of which was to preserve the historical, environmental, and cultural aspects of Mellieħa.

Paul Mizzi twieled ir-Rabat, Għawdex, fit-13 ta’ Diċembru, 1960. Bħala Kristjan Evanġeliku kiseb BA fit-teoloġija u minn żgħożitu ilu jgħallem il-Bibbja u jittraduċi kotba reliġjużi għall-Malti.

Għal aktar minn 30 sena serva bħala pastor fil-Knisja Evanġelika Trinità, u kien strumentali fit-twaqqif tal-Malta Evangelical Library.

L-ewwel pubblikazzjoni maġġura tiegħu hi Nixtiequ Naraw lil Ġesù, ġabra ta’ studji introduttorji għas-27 ktieb tal-Patt il-Ġdid. Aktar tard ippubblika F’Dawlek Naraw id-Dawl, katekiżmu li jkopri d-dottrini prinċipali tal-Bibbja.

Riċentement ippubblika Il-Patt il-Ġdid, traduzzjoni ġdida mill-Grieg għall-Malti, kompluta b’notamenti u referenzi. Abbinata miegħu għandu l-blog https://pattgdid.blogspot.com/ li fiha bosta artikli u studji fuq diversi aspetti bibliċi. Għal dan iddedika bosta snin, u jqisu bħala l-opra ewlenija tiegħu.

Għandu għal qalbu l-kitba kreattiva, kif jixhed ir-rumanz tiegħu, It-Tmien Meravilja. Apparti minn dan kiteb poeżiji, innijiet, novelli, drammi, rumanzi Kristjani, rumanzi storiċi, kif ukoll rumanzi umoristiċi u satiriċili qed jistennew il-pubblikazzjoni. Bħala delizzju għandu l-pittura biż-żejt u l-logħba taċ-ċess.

Hu miżżewweġ lil Michelle, u għandhom żewġ ulied, Christine u Jeanelle.

Alexia Xuereb Diacono twieldet ġo Birżebbuġa fit-8 ta’ April 1989. Sa minn età żgħira kellha namra kbira għall-kitba, u kienet tħarbex xi noti bl-ideat li kienu jiġuha. Ta’ adulta żżewwġet u marret toqgħod Marsaskala. Wara li ħelset l-istudji tagħha, bdiet taħdem ta’ għalliema fl-Iskola Primarja tal-Imqabba. Aktar tard ħadmet ukoll fl-iskola primarja ta’ Marsaskala. Apparti l-kitba għandha wkoll passjoni lejn il-lingwi. Fil-fatt hi taf titkellem bil-Malti, bl-Ingliż, bil-Franċiż, bit-Taljan u anke l-lingwa tas-sinjali. Il-passatempi tagħha huma l-għawm – fil-fatt fis-sajf tmur kważi kuljum il-baħar – il-qari u anke l-kitba. Minbarra dan tħobb issiefer u titgħallem fuq kulturi ġodda. Il-Kotba tagħha huma Maskri u Misteri; w Imrar u Mħabba.

Mevrick Spiteri holds a B.A. History and Archaeology from the University of Malta and an M.A. from the International Institute for Baroque Studies, University of Malta. His research interests lie in historical landscape studies through an economic and social history, focusing on aspects of development, property, land use, and the transformation of space. He has published extensively on the reconstruction of urban environments, especially on Valletta and on related subjects including the building industry, legislation, the Officio delle Case, cabrei, and Maltese periti in the early modern period.

Christian Mifsud is a graduate from the University of Malta with a degree in Archaeology and Anthropology and a master’s degree in Baroque Studies. He was active as a fieldwork archaeologist and has also worked on major national sites and World Heritage Sites whilst working with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. 

His ongoing PhD studies focus on urban development of the 16^th century Malta, with key research interests including early modern archaeology, urban development, documentation methods and 3D reconstruction techniques for archaeological and historic sites. He currently works at Heritage Malta where he is the curator for Research and Documentation of Historic Buildings.

Stanley Fiorini is Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow of the University of Malta. His interest in Maltese History has led to several publications of sole- or joint-authorship including The ‘Mandati’ documents at the Archives of the Mdina Cathedral, Malta: 1473-1539 (1993), Mdina – The Cathedral City of Malta (1996), and Tristia ex Melitogaudo – Lament in Greek verse of a XIIth-century exile on Gozo (2010). He has, furthermore, initiated the series entitled Documentary Sources of Maltese History, to which he has contributed, solely or jointly, the first fourteen volumes.

Claude Busuttil graduated at the University of Florence (Italy) in 1998 with a Masters Degree in Architecture specialising in History of Architecture and Restoration of Monuments. He has been practising as an architect since 1999 and is presently a Lecturer at the International Institute for Baroque Studies within the University of Malta. In 2018 he defended successfully his Ph.D thesis entitled “The Influence of French Military Engineers on Maltese Architecture during the Reign of Louis XIV” at the University of Rouen in France.

Alan Xuereb minn meta kien tifel kien affaxxinat bil-kożmoloġija, il-filosfija u l-politika. Huwa għandu dottorat fil-Liġi u għandu M.Phil. fil-filosofija tad-Dritt. Bejn l-1996 u l-2008 huwa ħadem bħala avukat f’Malta fejn ipprattika prinċipalment fil-qasam tad-dritt tal-familja u fejn iddedika ruħu fost l-oħrajn sabiex jgħin lill-foqra moħbija. Prinċipalment bl-involviment tiegħu fil-Moviment Era Ġdida, kif ukoll bil-ħidma tiegħu fl-Ordni Dumnikan. Huwa kien ukoll uffiċjal legali fid-Direttorat tal-Unjoni Ewropea fiż-żmien meta Malta kienet qed tinnegozja l-adeżjoni tagħha mal-Unjoni Ewropea. Sussegwentement huwa aġixxa wkoll bħala konsulent dwar id-dritt tal-Unjoni Ewropea għal diversi kumpanniji, organizzazzjonijiet u aġenziji governattivi. F’dan il-perijodu wkoll huwa ġie appuntat bħala CEO ta’ kumpannija tat-traduzzjonijiet u tal-konsulenza dejjem fil-qasam tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Illum il-ġurnata jaħdem bħala ġurista-lingwista mal-Qorti tal-Ġustizzja tal-Unjoni Ewropea fil-Lussemburgu. Dr. Xuereb huwa miżżewweġ lil Silke (nee Maninger) u għandhom żewġt itfal, Tristan u Alea. Huma jgħixu ġewwa Tawern fil-Ġermanja. Dr. Xuereb huwa membru tar-Royal Institute of Philosophy ta’ Londra u huwa membru attiv tal-Philosophical Society ta’ Oxford. Huwa awtur ta’ diversi artikli f’ġurnali Maltin u f’diversi rivisti ta’ xeħta filosofika fir-Renju Unit. Huwa jikteb fuq temi filosofiċi differenti partikolarment dwar il-filosofija politika, l-moralità u d-dritt u l-metafiżika. Dan il-ktieb huwa l-qofol ta’ snin ta’ riflessjoni dwar il-ġid komuni.

DWAR IL-KTIEB

Ma tantx jinkitbu kotba dwar il-filosofija politika bil-Malti. Ir-raġunijiet jistgħu jkunu numerużi pero s-sitwazzjoni fattwali hija dik. Riflessjonijiet dwar il-Ġid Komuni huwa tip ta’ tluq minn dik is-sitwazzjoni. Jidher ukoll li l-mod kif qed issir il-politika f’Malta, u wieħed jazzarda jgħid barra minn Malta, huwa wkoll xi ftit pragmatiku, iktar dwar is-sodisfazzjon tal-klijent u inqas dwar prinċipji. Realistikament, fil-politika huma ferm importanti l-istrateġija, il-kuntatt man-nies, u l-wegħda ta’ ħajja aħjar. Hawn min jgħid li l-poltika hija 1% ispirazzjoni u 99% perisperazzjoni. Madankollu, minkejja li dan kollu jista’ jkun minnu, huwa minnu wkoll li dak il-1% jrid inevittabbilemnt jispira u jiġġustifika d-99% tax-xogħol l-ieħor. Sabiex jintlaħaq dan l-iskop irid jsir ħafna ħsieb. Dan il-proċess ta’ ħsieb huwa parti essenzjali mill-filosofija politika. Dan il-ktieb huwa tentattiv umli sabiex jiftaħ diskussjoni fuq il-livell ta’ dak il-1%. Il-ktieb filwaqt li indirizzat lejn kulħadd li jinteressah jaqra dwar il-filosfija politika b’mod ġenerali u dwar il-ġid komuni b’mod partikolari, għandu jkun ta’ interess, wieħed jittama, għal dawk li jixtiequ jaħsbu iktar fil-fond jew iktar fil-wisa’ dwar dan is-suġġett. Jiġu f’moħħ dak li jkun gamma sħiħa ta’ persuni, minn studenti universitarji li jixtiequ jiktbu fuq din tema sa politiċi li jridu ġabra analitika dwar dan il-kunċett li tant jissemma u fl-istess ħin jibqa’ tant misterjuż. Dan il-ktieb ma huwiex manwal ta’ x’għandu wieħed jaħseb jew x’għandu jagħmel, iżda huwa iktar suġġeriment ta’ kif wieħed jista’ jibda djalogu fil-politika fuq livell li ma huwiex dak ta’ konfrontazzjoni iżda wieħed ta’ kooperazzjoni. B’dan il-prinċipju bħala sinsla kunċettwali tal-proġett wassal għat-tqassim finali tal-manuskritt f’żewġ taqsimiet. L-ewwel taqsima tal-ktieb tanalizza l-interazzjoni bejn il-filosofija politika u l-ġid komuni mill-ottika ta’ għażla ta’ filosfi u movimenti. It-tieni taqsima tiffoka iktar fuq l-aspetti kunċettwali tal-ġid komuni. Dan il-ktieb intbagħat għall-pubblikazzjoni fl-eqqel tal-pandemija tal-COVID-19 jew kif inhu magħruf aħjar il-Coronavirus. Kriżi li wriet kemm hemm ħtieġa ta’ politika u ekonomija differenti minn dik attwali, fejn mikrobu żgħir ġab għarkobbtejhom gvernijiet ta’ pajjiżi kbar u farrak ekonomiji madwar id-dinja.

Simon Salafia received his education at the Rabat Primary Government School and at St. Aloysius’ College. He continued his studies at the University of Malta where he graduated in Electrical Engineering. Due to his interest in the Spanish Language, he studied this language and reached its highest level of proficiency, recognised internationally, that is, the Proficiency Level of the Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language (University of Salamanca). He taught Spanish in Spanish-Maltese Cultural Centre, Government Schools, ITS and as a part-time lecturer at the University of Malta.

His main interests and hobbies are travelling, trekking and Maltese History and Culture, with a special reference to the Medieval Period. He is also a licensed Guide and a professional interpreter (in Spanish, English and Maltese, with Italian as a passive language) with an experience of more than 200 conference-days. The most prestigious event as an interpreter was the 5+5 Summit held in Malta in 2012, always working in the Spanish Booth.