"Dak li l-Lejl Iħallik Tgħid": Short Stories by Maltese author Pierre J. Mejlak

Dak li l-Lejl Iħallik Tgħid

Short Stories by Pierre J. Mejlak

Dak li l-Lejl Iħallik Tgħid (literally, "What the night lets you say") is Pierre J. Mejlak's second collection of short stories after Qed nistenniek niezla max-Xita". First published in 2011, it earned its author the 2014 European Union Literature Prize.

Mejlak has also written a novel, several translations/adaptations and books for children, but short stories appear to be his favourite medium. It is also a genre which is well-suited to his style - a distinctive blend of bitter-sweet, poetic prose and bursts of impish humour, a combination of "literary" language and simple, realistic, in-your-face dialogue.

The stories in this book range from endearing romances (Dar ir-Rummien) to darkly comic yarns (Kolp ta' Stat and Il-Barranija). At one point Meilak even flirts with horror (L-aħħar sajf tieghek, Amy).  The overarching theme of the collection is Memory, and how we tend to manipulate it to fashion our pasts. Memory and truth, the author seems to be telling us, are uncomfortable bedfellows.

All the stories are well-crafted pieces - the best of them (in my opinion, Mort naraha Pa and Nixtieq nghajjat lil Samirah) are genuinely moving.

I can't help suspecting that some of the stories' nuances are best appreciated by those who share the author's Maltese (or, more specifically, Gozitan) upbringing.  This notwithstanding, Mejlak’s stories deserve an international readership and, thankfully, are now available in several languages, including an expanded English edition (Having Said Goodnight) translated by Clare Vassallo and Antoine Cassar.  If you’d like a taste, here’s a link to Cassar’s translation of Mort naraha Pa.

206 pages

Published by Merlin Publishers (first published January 1st 2011)

Cover of English language edition