11 May 2010

Ninu Cremona, Victoria, Gozo, Malta

The statue of Ninu Cremona (1880-1972) outside the Ninu Cremona Lyceum, Fortunato Mizzi Street, Gozo. Cremona was also known as Anthony Cremona and Is-Sur Nin and was born in Victoria, Gozo. Orphaned at an early age, he spent three years with an uncle in Tunis, later returning to the Jesuits' College on Gozo, then to the Seminary in Floriana, Malta, where he met Dun Karm (see below). He worked as a government clerk, then as a sanitary officer.

In 1928 he was employed by the government with responsibility for translations and publications.

He was partly responsible for establishing the Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti (The Maltese Writers Society), later called Akkademja tal-Malti (The Maltese Academy), and was Vice-President and editor of Il-Malti, the organ of the Writers Society. More importantly, he helped to concretize Maltese orthography.

He wrote many books, but is most noted for his play Il-Fidwa tal-Bdiewa (The Farmers’ Liberation).

No comments: