Tony C Cutajar

A boat on the way to Malta from Libya overturns and a number of people drown. A baby is saved and is brought up by a Maltese family as her parents were among those that lose their life at sea.

At school a boy from Eritrea is not always made welcome because of his skin colour. Another boy misbehaves as a reaction for what he feels inside him. He and his mother have had very bad experiences.

These two boys and their class take part in a very keen competition with another class of girls. Who will win? Will it be the boys or the girls?

A new set of interesting books for children between 7 and 11 years has been published by the children’s author Tony C. Cutajar on the occasion of the 2011 Book Fair. The themes treated are full of general knowledge and they offer a hoard of ideas for compositions. They are written in a pleasant readable style with words and idioms purposely chosen for this age group.

All six books are profusely illustrated with full colour drawings by Davida Flores. The titles in this set are: Festi matul is-Sena, Il-Ħbieb tagħna l-Annimali, Id-Dinja tal-Isports, Ħrejjef Sbieħ, Jagħtuna Servizz and Pajjiżi barra minn Malta.

This new set of books would make an ideal Christmas present to encourage children to write good Maltese.

This new book is not meant for children or for those who are too sensitive where cruelty and torture are concerned. This is an account of human tragedy during the ugliest period of man’s history in the last hundred years. The author, Tony C. Cutajar, who has written a number of books specifically for young adults, is presenting this work for the first time in the Maltese language so that today’s young people are made aware and will never forget what millions of innocent people went through. We call it the holocaust, at the Nuremburg trial it was referred to as genocide while Winston Churchill called it the crime that has no name. As he said in his dedication, the author produced this book “to ensure that these horrific experiences that did great harm to humanity will never happen again.”

This book is about some of the greatest people who made history. Each one of them somehow made a name which is still famous. But in these short stories about their life I refer mostly about the time when they were still young. Why? Because the author wants to show that they were children and youths like you and, in spite of the difficulties they met with in life, they managed to make a success of their life and their talents. They did not give up but carried on regardless of hindrances and discouragement. Some of them died young, yet they are still famous. Among them we find Alexander the Great who died at 33, and Joan of Arc who was burnt alive before reaching the age of 20. In their short life, they succeeded to reach the highest achievement that many others reached much later in life.

You can buy this book online in print or eBook format. Please click the image on the right.

This story by the well-known author Tony C. Cutajar is based on the biography of Damien the Leper written by the Hollywood film director John Farrow, father of the actress and singer Mia Farrow. The great adventure of this priest began quietly well over a century ago. Since then his remarkable story has become legend throughout the world.

Young Joseph de Veuster left his secure life in Belgium, thrusting aside all thoughts of personal danger, to spend the rest of his days ad Father Damien, comforting the sick and the dying. Though virtually entombed among the living dead of a leper colony on the island of Molokai, Damien managed to find beauty and enchantment in the lush surroundings. His extraordinary journey of the spirit comes to life in this splendid biography which has become a classic over the years and is sure to endure as long as people thrill to deeds of valour and pay homage to the great spiritual truths. This unforgettable story of courage, sacrifice and devotion was vividly recalled in 2009 when Father Damien was declared a saint by the present Pope.

This book can be bought for €5 at the Catholic Institute, Floriana. It can be sent by post for an extra 50c. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Order of Charity (Malta) which, under the auspices of the Grand Priory of the Order of St. Lazarus, helps to reduce and even cure leprosy in third world countries.

At the end of September 2009 Tony C. Cutajar published this book written mainly for children in their last years in the Primary School. It is his eighth story of the Mystery Series published by Klabb Kotba Maltin. A class of pupils are studying Maltese history in connection with the bastions, towers and other fortifications around the island. The main gate in the Cottonera bastions, known as Notre Dame Gate or Bieb is-Sultan, is associated with a very old legend which says that in the direction which the statue of the Grand Master atop the building is looking at there is a hidden treasure. It’s a mystery how nobody ever succeeded in finding this treasure. The pupils compete between themselves in trying to solve this mystery. After a lot of adventures, one of the girls manages to find it by chance and becomes a heroine overnight.

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS is an emotionally charged piece of literature that inspires thought and difference of opinion. Written by the Irish author John Boyne (born 1971), it is a book of unrivalled educational value and should be required reading on every school curriculum. In March this year it exceeded one million copies sold worldwide. In Spain it has been the best seller, was the biggest selling novel in 2007 and has sold over 800,000 copies in Spanish. It holds the record for the longest ever No. 1 in the Irish bestseller chart, 66 weeks and still going, over two years after publication.

The book was winner of the Irish Book Award Children’s book of the year, winner of the Irish Book Award Listener’s Choice book of the year and winner of the Bisto Children’s book of the year. It was shortlisted for the British Book Award, the Borders’ Original Voices Award (USA), the Ottakar’s Book Prize (UK), the Paolo Ungari Prize (Italy), the Berkshire Book Award, the Sheffield Children’s Book Prize, the Lancashire Book Prize and the Irish Novel of the Year Award. Finally it was longlisted for the 2007 Carnegie Medal.

This powerful, timely and unsettling novel has been translated into 32 languages and now even in Maltese by the popular author of children’s books Tony C. Cutajar.and published by Klabb Kotba Maltin under the title of IT-TIFEL BIL-PIGAMA RRIGATA. It should shortly be on the stands at the same time as the release of the film (Mirmax/Heyday) which was written and directed by Mark Herman and released abroad only some months back.

The Independent (UK) describes this extraordinary yet simple story as “A fine addition to a once taboo area of history packed with overtones that remain in the imagination” It stays just ahead of its readers before delivering its killer punch in the final pages.”

Already this year another three books written by Tony C Cutajar have been published by three different publishing houses. 2008 seems to be another very promising year for the author, as was last year when he won two prestigious rewards at the National Book Award ceremony. In January Klabb Qari Nisrani published and distributed its 103rd edition under the name of ZGHAZAGH FIL-BIBBJA, dealing with eleven young heroes of the Bible whose experiences can serve as models even for our modern youngsters.

In March Klabb Kotba Maltin issued the latest in the series of mystery stories entitled IL-MISTERU TA’ MIGRA L-FERHA, an adventure story with a Maltese history background in connection with two young couples and their exploits. Then in April PIN continued its series of books entitled “Kullana ghat-Tfal” which contain factual information on cultural aspects of Maltese society. Tony C Cutajar’s book, entitled IS-SERVIZZI, deals with Social Services: the police, teachers, doctors, nurses and tourist operators.

On the occasion of the Book Fair and Book Awards ceremony which took place at the Auberge de Castille on 29 November 2007, Tony C Cutajar won two prestigious awards. He was judged first in the category of books for children with his book Id-Drawwiet from among 23 other books presented by various other authors. Furthermore he won second prize in the drama category with his book Mhux Skond iz-Zokk. The awards were presented by the Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi in the presence of Dr Louis Galea, Minister for Education, and a numerous audience of authors, publishers and distributors. A selection of Mhux Skond iz-Zokk was one of two representations dramatised for the occasion by the School Drama Unit. .

In February 2008 we are having two new books written by Tony C Cutajar. One is ZGHAZAGH FIL-BIBBJA to be published by the Media Centre, dedicated to all teenagers and young adults. It recalls famous personnages in the Bible? who in their youth lived an interesting or unusual life and who showed great faith in God. The second book is IL-MISTERU TA’ MIZRA L-FERHA to be published by Klabb Kotba Maltin. This is one of a long serious of mysteries for children and young adults being published by the Klabb these last few years. The author has? written a number of them and hopes to have another mystery this year.