My father, Albert M. Cassola (1915-1974), is quite well-known among the 65- to 80-year-olds who had frequented the Lyceum in their adolescence, since he had been their master of Italian or Maltese in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.
He is also quite known (though not as much as I would like!) in Maltese literary circles since he was a prolific writer, having spent all his life writing poetry, novels, oratorji, drama and comedy, short stories, religious hymns and very secular songs.
Probably, many other people would also know him… without even realising they know him because of the songs he wrote.
Today, 51 years after his death, people are still exposed to songs he had written over half a century ago. They might even be humming themselves L-Imħabba during the Eurovision fever in May, Għażiża Ommi on Mothers’ Day, O Lejl ta’ Skiet in the Christmas period or the evergreen Baby Ġoġo, without even imagining the possibility that the lyrics of these songs were written by the father of “Kazzola” tal-Momentum.
What is totally unknown to the public is that, between the ages of 13 and 14, my father produced a handwritten newspaper in Italian, L’Illustrazione, which he would sell to his younger brother, Edward, for a halfpenny (later increased to a penny).
The first edition of L’Illustrazione, July 8, 1928.The giornalino, which was replete with illustrations, portraits and adverts hand-drawn in ink, was ‘published’ weekly in 55 issues, until early 1930. Three special issues were also ‘published’ on April 3, 1929, June 20, 1929, and December 25, 1929.
The giornalino was replete with illustrations, portraits and adverts, all hand-drawn in ink.The fresh teenager was a keen follower of Maltese politics of his time. In issue no. 2, he accused Gerald Strickland of censoring Maltese newspapers. So the aim of L’Illustrazione, edited by the 13-year-old, was also that of “Ticxfilcom il-patata”.
He must have been an attentive reader of the major Maltese political and religious newspapers of the period, since he refers to a number of newspapers published at the time, such as Leħen is-Seuua, Internazionali, Mid Day News, The Daily Malta Chronicle, Il-Ħmar, Ix-Xemx, Dr Xecchec, Militia Christi, Il-Ħmara, Il-Felu and Il-Ġgant.
I find it amazing that a boy of his age would be so au courant with the mainstream adult media of the times. At his age, I was still transitioning from the childhood Dandy, Beano and Topper to the more adolescent material of Victor and Hotspur!
Issue no 11 of the newspaper, September 16, 1928.A staunch Catholic and a keen Italophile, at age 13 he was already allergic to the “Conte della Catena”, Lord Strickland, whom he describes as a “rovinatore” in issue no. 2, as the freemason mentioned by Terinu in issue no. 18, as “Lord Liar” in issue no. 20, and so on and so forth.
In issue no. 19, for example, he reproduced drawings of public political meetings held by Lord Strickland, while in issue no. 4, he dedicates a whole poem, entitled “Tutto il contrario”, to the leader of the Constitutional Party.
As opposed to Strickland, Il-Gross was a favourite with the 13-year-old from Valletta. In issue no. 9, Albert informs that “è nata una figlia al Dott. C. Mifsud Bonnici”, while, in issue no. 43, he writes about “Il caso Gross”, which featured the case involving Mifsud Bonnici and a certain Salafia. In issue no. 43, Cassola actually addresses a letter to Il-Gross.
Front page of issue 13, September 30, 1928.In issue no. 36, where he writes about the traditional Maltese figolli, Cassola suggests that Augusto Bartolo could actually be a very good model… for a figolla, while in issue no. 43 he refers to Sir Ugo Mifsud in the article entitled ‘Il Processo’. In issue no. 44, an article is dedicated to Mgr Enrico Dandria.
In issue no. 17, he refers to Dr Paul Boffa, who had just been elected leader of Labour Party the year before. How could the 13-year-old Albert imagine that, 19 years later, on April 28, 1947, seven months before he was to become prime minister of Malta, Boffa was to be one of the witnesses at the marriage of my father to my mother, Ethel, since her father, John F. Marks, was one of Boffa’s closest aides and confidants?
For a “Nazzjonalist ippatentjat” like my father, it must have been quite something to swallow. But, as we all know, love does make us blind to many things we would otherwise object to.
In issue no. 27, Cassola renames the days of the week in an ironic way, dedicating them to politicians of the moment. Thus, lunedì becomes Lordodì (for Strickland); martedì becomes Sammudì (for Sammut); mercoledì – Bartoldì (for Bartolo); giovedì – Galedì (for Galea); venerdì –Vasodì (for Vassallo); sabato – Salomondì (for Salomone); and domenica – Depedì (for Depiro).
An excerpt from L’Illustrazione.Definitely something I have inherited from my father is his sense of humour, which I try to put to good use also in politics. Alas, for me, it is not always appreciated by my contemporary Maltese fellow citizens.
International politics were also a regular feature of Albert’s columns, with the pope, Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III and Benito Mussolini being among the major protagonists.
I find it amazing that a boy of his age would be so au courant with the mainstream adult media of the times
Sports news feature regularly in Albert’s newspaper. He was a keen sportsman himself, since he used to run sprints in athletics and win quite a lot of races in his youth.
He also used to play for one of the Neptunes water polo sub-teams in St Julian’s in summer, such as the Sea Rovers and then Sharks, a waterpolo team that my father had founded; the reason being that the Cassola family, a proud family of Beltin, used to spend its villeġġatura in a small house by the sea in St Julian’s.
In issue no. 7, Albert writes that there had been a complaint lodged about the referee who had umpired the water polo match between Neptunes and B.S.A.
Turu Rizzo, Malta’s renowned water-threading champion, was an idol for my father, the equivalent of today’s Ronaldo, Messi or Mbappe for many young kids all over the world. There are various articles where my father glorifies his epic deeds.
However, reports of football matches played at the Empire Stadium are also common to come by, with Valletta FC, Sliema Wanderers, Hajduk, Wiener Athletic Sportsklub featured, among others.
Albert M. Cassola (right) with his wife Ethel and son Arnold.The young editor was also already following the major international comedian of the times, Charlie Chaplin. Issue no. 11 carries a drawing of the famous comedian, whom Albert refers to as “lo stemma” (the logo) of his newspaper.
The reference to “Charlot” leads to another article in the same issue, which concerned a local comic figure, whom Cassola calls “Il console” but who, in reality, was known as “Il-Konslu”. During carnival days, the latter used to entertain the public by parading along Strada Reale, in Valletta and making a fool of himself.
L’Illustrazione is replete with many articles that refer to life in Malta in the 1920s, over 100 years ago. My father wrote about anything and everything: the Gozitan Father Odorico Grima, an astronomer (issue no. 19); “La fabbrica di Portanier” (issue no. 21), which refers to the famous mineral drinks factory of the time; “Il collegio di Lady Strickland (issue no. 22), which refers to what is today St Edward’s College; “Il Marchese Scicluna” (issue no. 22), at that time one of the richest, if not the richest, persons on the island; and so on.
Of special note is the Special issue no. 53, which has two poems in Maltese by 14-year-old Albert, Lil Malta and L’Omm, which, I believe, could be the first poems he wrote in Maltese.
The bust of Albert M. Cassola donated to the University of Malta Library.Soon, I will be donating these manuscripts to the University of Malta Library, where they can be added to the already existing Albert M. Cassola collection. They are a minefield for researchers interested in Maltese, Italian, history and Maltese studies in general.
It’s up to the interested ones to get going.
Arnold Cassola is an academic, a politician, and chairperson of Momentum.