Oliver Friggieri


Oliver Friggieri is a Maltese poet, novelist, literary critic, and minor philosopher. In philosophy he is mostly interested in epistemology and Existentialism.

Life

Friggieri was born in Floriana, Malta, in 1947. He studied at the bishop's seminary, and then at the University of Malta. From here he acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Maltese, Italian and Philosophy, and then a Masters. In 1978 he acquired a Doctorate in Maltese literature and Literary Criticism from the Catholic University of Milan, Italy.
Friggieri began his career in 1968 teaching Maltese and Philosophy in secondary schools. Then, in 1976, he moved Maltese to the University of Malta, first as Assistant Lecturer, then as Lecturer, and later as Associate Lecturer. In 1988 he was appointed Head of the Department of Maltese. He became Professor in 1990.
In the meantime, between 1970 and 1971 Friggieri was very active in Malta's Literary Revival Movement. He was on the editorial board of Il-Polz, a Maltese literary periodical, of which he became editor. He co-founded Is-Saghtar, a children’s literary and cultural magazine, and remained on its editorial board ever since. In 1971 he also collaborated in the establishment of a publishing house, Klabb Kotba Maltin, which facilitated the publishing of books in Maltese. He has been the editor of the Journal of Maltese Studies since 1980. He is also a Member of the Association Internationale des Critiques Litteraires of Paris, France.
In 2008 Friggieri published his autobiography, Fjuri li ma Jinxfux, relevant to the years 1955–90 of his life.

Works

Friggieri is the author of several books. As his prime specialisation Maltese literature, most of his publications are not of a directly philosophical nature. These include dictionaries of literature, oratories, cantatas, literary criticism, literary biographies, and anthologies of his own poetry. Friggieri also significantly contributed essays on Peter Caxaro and Mikiel Anton Vassalli.
Apart from regular contributions in local periodicals and newspapers, of especial interest to philosophy are Friggieri's novels and short stories. These feature pathos and philosophical reflections.
Short stories
Novels