Who am I?

A poet and an environmentalist of Maltese origin, now based in France. I started writing poetry and short stories in my pre-teens and been campaigning in favour of a better environment for over sixteen years.

My poetry is marked by scraps of fragments, teasing rhythms and subtle colours, at times postmodern and minimalist. I am the founder and coordinator of the Luxembourg Poetry Group.

Sea major is the winning poem in the London Independent Story Prize (LISP) in 2023. In 2022, Habiba  was highly commended by poet Joelle Taylor, judge for the Ledbury Poetry Competition. In 2021, the poem The Calling  featured in PEN International and PEN Malta's A Poetry Memorial for Daphne Caruana Galizia and then published by Midsea Books in 2023. The poem Ruts  placed third in The Mattia Family 15th International Poetry Competition in 2013. Twelve inky years  received a special mention by the Welsh Poetry International Competition in 2018, whilst La Moselle  was chosen as an editor's choice in the 2020 Hammond House International Literary Prize, awarded by the University Centre Grimsby. In 2020 I served as a judge for Stories of the Nature of Cities, New York.

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For over nine years I worked in the European Public Administration, and for over ten years I worked within the Maltese public sector in the environmental and sustainable development sphere, holding the position of Secretary to the boards of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, the Sustainable Development Network and the Guardian of Future Generations. Along the years, I worked closely with NGOs and represented Malta's interests at various fora, amongst which as a member of the Maltese delegations at the UNECE Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development in Geneva in 2011 and at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. I am an avid environmental campaigner and was much involved with Friends of the Earth Malta campaigns, for good measure.

I undertook a MSc in Sustainable Development at the Imperial College and SOAS Univeristy and a BA in Geography at the University of Malta. I have just finished a BA in English (Major) with Philosophy at the University of London – Goldsmiths and Birkbeck, whilst working on my first poetry collection. 

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When I'm not writing I'm...

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dabbling in calligraphy, sewing, a slave to chocolate (preferably vegan), feasting on good wine and supporting organisations in the fields of environmental and social justice. I am always keen to roam the forests, rivers, towns and fortifications of the Grande Région, not to mention the landscape and seascape of the Maltese Islands.

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5 minute read - Interview with London Independent Story prize

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