Adapting Local Stories to Film: Marthese Fenech, Lara Calleja & Joe Pace

 Last week we covered Alex Vella Gera's novel Is-Sriep Reġgħu Saru Velenużi and its film adaptation, which is hitting the silver screen soon. Sriep represents just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Maltese novels are out there to adapt! In this article, we'll cover Marthese Fenech's A Novel of the Knights of Malta series of books set during The Great Siege of 1565, as well as Lara Calleja and Joe Pace's shortlisted novels for the EU literature prize... so if you've been keeping a keen eye on local material for your next project, or are just interested in what might end up in the pipeline towards moviedom, read on!

Marthese Fenech is a Canadian-Maltese author who has had a number of bestselling novels based in Malta. She is based in Canada and apart from being an author, she is also a professional editor and high school teacher. In an interview with Newsbook she explained how she had been wishing for the longest time that her novel series would be adapted to film or TV and how she has finally decided to take the leap herself.

Image Source: Marthese Fenech, Newsbook

"For years, I have wished someone – a director, a producer, an actor – would approach me about adapting my books". Realizing that she could push for such a project's fruition herself, Fenech has since started the process of drafting a pilot episode for the would-be series and hopes to pitch it to streaming services along with HBO and the History Channel in the coming months. Fenech is also working towards the submitting her third novel to the Toronto International Festival of the Arts, along with the aid of Dr. Raymond Xerri, Consul General of Malta in Canada.

Novels Shortlisted for EU Prize:

Image Source: Merlin Publishers, Times of Malta


Concurrently this week, there has also been a shortlisting of two other Maltese novels for an EU literature prize. The EU Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognizes emerging fiction writers across Europe and is in it's 13th edition this year.

The Maltese nominations have been Papa Aħmed by Joe Pace and Kissirtu Kullimkien by Lara Calleja.

Papa Aħmed recounts the story of a Maltese priest in his journey to the head of the Papacy which will take him across cultural, religious and social boundaries. In an interview with The Times, Pace said "The book is a political thriller. It deals with politics within an organisation like the Church and between three major religions which, while believing in the same God, are constantly at each other’s throats. It also deals with politics between people."

Kissirtu Kullimkien deals with the more relatable topic of overdevelopment and toxic urbanisation. It is a series of short stories revolving around the destructive impact of the construction industry on the Maltese isles. One can almost imaging a filmic retelling of such stories in a production akin to the Coens' The Balled of Buster Scruggs (2018)! Calleja said "I hope that my nomination and the book will serve as a platform so that the message about these themes will be delivered. I will not censure myself on such issues. I will always say what I have to say.

Both novels struck us as very cinematic in their nature, almost waiting to be adapted to film! On that line of thought, keep in mind that the National Book Council offers grants for the adaptation of Maltese novels to both feature-length and short films, an aid which could really help kickstart a project of this type. Happy reading and/or adapting!



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