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Mark Camilleri

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Mark Camilleri M.Q.R (born 2 February 1988) is a Maltese historian, writer, blogger, publisher, and investigative journalist. Camilleri served as chairman of the National Book Council from 2013 to 2021. Following this, he became an outspoken critic of the ruling Labour Party and of prime ministers Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela.

Early career

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As a very young man, Mark Camilleri always had a great interest for history and politics. While still being a secondary school student, he used to socialise and discuss politics with leftists and communists at the Communist Party of Malta premises in Valletta.

He later became an active member of Moviment Graffitti[1] During this time, he was once arrested together with another Graffitti member for attempting to throw red paint at an American warship, the USS O'Bannon which was temporarily berthed in Malta. Since he was still a minor at the time of the crime, his name was not published but was conditionally discharged for involuntarily damaging police uniforms and fined €100 (Lm42.91).[2]

Mark Camilleri continued his studies at the University of Malta where he later graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in 2009 and M.A. in 2012. During his University years in 2009, he published Alex Vella Gera's short story Li Tkisser Sewwi (trans. Fix What You Break) in his student newspaper Ir-Realta'. Vella Gera's short story is a first person male narrative on female objectification and sexual exploits. The publication was promptly banned from the University of Malta and Camilleri was indicted to court along with the author for publishing obscenities and pornography.[3] This arrest took place during a time when old censorship laws were being applied across the arts sector.[4] This led him to organize a pressure group called Front Against Censorship which lobbied for the removal of censorship laws from the arts. Camilleri and Vella Gera were released from all charges by Maltese courts.[5] Following their release, censorship laws in Malta were removed in 2016. During the following year, the Front Against Censorship lobbied for the removal of criminal libel, which was subsequently removed from Malta's code of laws in 2018.[6]

For his work against government censorship, Camilleri was controversially awarded a Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (M.Q.R) in 2013 by Malta's President George Abela, amidst accusations of political patronage.[7][8]

National Book Council

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In 2013, Mark Camilleri was appointed Executive Chairman of Malta's National Book Council. During his tenure he introduced Malta's first Public Lending Rights scheme,[9] began Malta's participation at the London Book Fair,[10] and founded the Malta Book Fund.[11]

Camilleri has also pushed for the exportation of Maltese literature,[12] describing Immanuel Mifsud and Walid Nabhan as two of the most representative contemporary Maltese authors around the world.[13]

After the 2019 Malta political crisis Camilleri became very critical of the government owing to complications arising from his own position on Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder investigation.[14] An example of this is evident in the cancellation of the National Book Prize Ceremony, which was due to be held at the Office of the Prime Minister in November.[15] This followed a request for his resignation from his public service post after insulting senior government officials. He refused to resign and issued a formal apology.[16]

His contract with the National Book Council was not renewed in 2021[17] and he claimed political discrimination,[18] demanding a lifetime achievement award.[19]

Political views and ideology

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Camilleri's political views have evolved in time. However, his ideology is an unstable one. He previously identified himself as a Marxist[20] and a leftist.[21] After his departure from the Labour Party, he endorsed ADPD candidate Sandra Gauci[22] before encouraging people to vote for the Nationalist Party.[23] Camilleri endorsed President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola after the 2022 election.[24] He subsequently claimed to identify as a "libertarian capitalist".[25]

Publications

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His output as a historian includes the books A Materialist Revision of Maltese History 870-1919 (2016, SKS, ISBN 9789993217435) and A Materialist Revision of Maltese History 1919-1979 (2018, SKS, ISBN 9789993217565).[26] Camilleri also accused in his work that Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had deliberately concealed archaeological evidence to gloss over Malta's Islamic history and called for the publication of all archaeological items in its inventory.[27] In 2020 he also called for relocation of a statue of Queen Victoria from the centre of Valletta.[28][29]

In his book A Rent-Seeking Paradise (2021, Dialekta, ISBN 9789918953516), Camilleri claims that six Malta Government rebel members of parliament had asked Joseph Muscat to resign from Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party during Malta's political crisis in December 2019.[30]

Camilleri writes regularly on his blog and pursues as a self-published author through his own publishing house, Dar Camilleri.[31] Publications include his novel Ġaħan fl-Aqwa Żmien (2022, ISBN 9789918953523)[32] and L-Antologija ta' Letteratura Mqarba (2022, ISBN 9789918953530).[31]

In 2021, he released the online chats between alleged Daphne Caruana Galizia murder Yorgen Fenech and Maltese politician Edward Zammit Lewis.[33] In 2023, he released the chats between Fenech and Maltese politician Rosianne Cutajar. This led to the resignation of Cutajar from the Malta Government's parliamentary group,[34] which also triggered her removal from the Social Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Malta.[35] The Criminal Court ordered that Camilleri be charged with criminal action over the release of the chats involving Cutajar, interpreting this as contempt of court in the context of Fenech's ongoing judicial process.[36]

In 2024, he launched the Maltese Herald which is an independent and international news site based in Malta, with a focus on Maltese affairs.[37]

References

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  1. ^ Debono, James (20 April 2018). "Moviment Graffitti: Since 1994, fighting the power". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  2. ^ "Two students acquitted of trying to damage US warship". Times of Malta. 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
  3. ^ Schembri, David (17 March 2010). "Writer to face charges for Ir-Realta story". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  4. ^ O'Mahony, Jennifer (2010-08-05). "An obscene attack on Maltese culture". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  5. ^ Cocks, Paul (4 March 2017). "Front Against Censorship: Media bill contradicts Labour's electoral manifesto". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  6. ^ "Criminal libel is history as new media law comes into force". Times of Malta. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  7. ^ "Republic Day • Armed Forces, transgender who challenged State, and face of anti-censorship honoured". MaltaToday.com.mt. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  8. ^ "Here's a new angle to Mark Camilleri's Medal for Service to the Republic". 13 December 2013.
  9. ^ Carabott, Sarah (30 October 2014). "Authors to be paid for library lending". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  10. ^ "NBC at London Book Fair - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. 20 Apr 2015. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  11. ^ "Malta Book Fund to foster cultural growth in the local book market". MaltaToday.com.mt. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  12. ^ Depares, Ramona (6 March 2019). "'High priority' on exporting Maltese literature". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  13. ^ Rossetti, Chip (2016-05-02). "Malta's Might: A Few Words With Mark Camilleri". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  14. ^ Camilleri, Neil (27 December 2020). "The outspoken one: We voted for Muscat in 2017 fully aware there was corruption – Mark Camilleri - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  15. ^ "National Book Council prize ceremony cancelled due to 'heavy shadow' over OPM - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  16. ^ "Book chair apologises for 'foul language', says resignation call withdrawn". Times of Malta. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  17. ^ "Mark Camilleri no longer National Book Council chairman after contract is not renewed - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  18. ^ "Mark Camilleri claims discrimination in his removal from National Book Council chairmanship - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  19. ^ Calleja, Claudia (11 October 2021). "Former book council head lashes out at successor and demands lifetime award". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  20. ^ Diacono, Tim (10 April 2022). "'Kiss My Glorious Marxist A**,' Mark Camilleri Tells Rosianne Cutajar After Police Charge Him For 'Taunting' And 'Threatening' MP". Lovin Malta. Lovin Malta Ltd. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Episodju 031 ma' Mark Camilleri | It-Tieni Parti". YouTube. Jon Mallia Podcast. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  22. ^ camillerimark (2022-03-15). "Intervista lil Sandra Gauci". Mark Camilleri. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  23. ^ camillerimark (2022-02-21). "The urgency of voting them out". Mark Camilleri. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  24. ^ camillerimark (2022-05-20). "Our future is with the West, yet not with Labour". Mark Camilleri. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  25. ^ camillerimark (2023-12-15). "A reply to Sammy Meilaq: the last socialist who didn't sell his soul". Mark Camilleri. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  26. ^ "A new perspective on Maltese history". Times of Malta. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  27. ^ "A materialist revision of Maltese history". Times of Malta. 24 July 2016. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  28. ^ Cilia, Johnathan (2020-06-16). "Replace Queen Victoria With Statue Of A Maltese Intellectual, Book Council Chairman Says". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  29. ^ Vassallo, Raphael (18 June 2020). "Remove Queen Victoria's statue? 'We are not amused'..." MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  30. ^ Camilleri, Mark (2021). A rent seeker's paradise : rent seeking, politics and the economy, drugs, corruption and dirty oil in Malta. [Malta]. ISBN 978-9918-9535-1-6. OCLC 1336495829.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  31. ^ a b Zammit, Lara (24 November 2022). "Anthology of subversive Maltese literature to be launched". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  32. ^ Zammit, Lara (11 July 2022). "'Ġaħan fl-Aqwa Żmien': Mark Camilleri releases satirical novel". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  33. ^ Diacono, Tim (2021-11-02). "Mark Camilleri Publishes Several WhatsApp Chats Between Yorgen Fenech And Edward Zammit Lewis". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  34. ^ "Rosianne Cutajar resigns from Labour's parliamentary group". Times of Malta. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  35. ^ "Labour Party seeks to remove Rosianne Cutajar from parliamentary committee". Times of Malta. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  36. ^ Agius, Matthew; Azzopardi, Karl (23 March 2023). "Judge orders criminal action against Camilleri over Rosianne Cutajar WhatsApp leaks". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  37. ^ Camilleri, Mark (2024-10-21). "Markcamilleri.org is dead. The Maltese Herald is born". The Maltese Herald. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
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