Rebbieħ tal-Premju Nazzjonali tal-Ktieb Mill-awtur rebbieħ tal-Premju tal-Unjoni Ewropea għal-Letteratura Illejla l-qamar ma jidhirx. U x-xita donnha ma tridx tieqaf. Bilqiegħda b'saqajja mar-radiator qed inħares mit-tieqa 'l barra u nara l-għadajjar jittektku bla ħniena u jibdlu lewnhom ma’ kull karozza li tgħaddi mit-triq. Tfajla twila, b’għajnejha kbar, għaddejja mgħaġġla minn fuq il-bankina kollha weraq niexef imxarrab. U nixtieq inbexxaq it-tieqa u nistaqsiha tridx tgħaddi biex sakemm tbatti ftit ix-xita ngħidu storja lil xulxin. Farid, sid in-night shop ta’ quddiemi, għadu kemm ħareġ jisserraħ mal-koxxa tal-bieb taħt it-tinda tal-Marlboro. U b’sigarett f’ħalqu qed iħares lejn ix-xita. U - min jaf? - forsi qed jistennieha. Nieżla magħha. Huwa wkoll.
Author
Born in Malta, Pierre J. Mejlak has been writing novels and short stories since he was young. He is published by Merlin Publishers. Mejlak has written books for children, adaptations, a novel and two collections of short stories, winning numerous awards, including five National Book Awards, the Commonwealth Essay Writing Award and the Sea of Words European Short Story Award. His first collection of short stories for adults, Qed Nistenniek Niezla max-Xita (I'm waiting for you to fall with the rain) was published to critical and popular acclaim in February 2009. His second collection of short stories, Dak li l-Lejl Ihallik Tghid (what the night lets you say) was published in June 2011. A number of his short stories have been translated into English, French, Catalan, Portuguese, Serbian, Arabic, Spanish, Indonesian and Italian and were read at numerous literary festivals around Europe and the Middle East. Mejlak's award-winning novel Rih Isfel (southern wind) has been turned into a 13-episode prime-time TV series for Malta's NET TV. Two times winner of the Malta Journalism Award, Pierre J. Mejlak worked as a journalist from 1999 to 2005. He was a BBC correspondent, a regular columnist for Malta's daily In-Nazzjon and produced radio shows - including 60 one-hour documentaries on rock legends - for various national radio stations. From an early age, Pierre J. Mejlak published a number of magazines, including his very-own monthly magazine Il-Fwieha tan-Narcisa, which he wrote, edited and published from January 1996 to December 2000. In 2004 he left Malta to Brussels, where he still lives.
