Ġeraldu Azzopardi

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Ġeraldu Azzopardi

Ġeraldu Azzopardi (19 December 1910 - 10 May 1993) was a Maltese writer from Ħal-Lija.

A dockyard employee, Azzopardi was a keen reader, especially about foreign politics and social policy which was locally lacking at his time. He was also a victim of the “sedition” when books by certain foreign writers were deemed as dangerous for society and therefore illegal to read.

He started to write his own articles in the 30’s on leftist local papers such as Il-Cotra and Il-Ħmara. He also wrote on The Torch, The Dawn, Il-Malti and Il-Ħelsien. He wrote against child labour, sex inequality, lack of an adequate salary for workers, lack of education for all and more injustices in Malta after World War II. His writings often landed him in hot water with authorities and persons of influence.

He translated books by Charles Dickens and Axel Munthe. He wrote original books himself which include X’Ġarrab Manwel Dimech, Għejdut Manwel Dimech, Meta l-Malti Għadab, Is-Sebgħa ta’ Ġunju 1919 - Sittin Sena Wara, Il-Fundaturi tal-Partit tal-Ħaddiema, Ir-Rieda tal-Kotra, Manwel Dimech u Dun Ġorġ Preca, Ħsibijiet ta’ Ċensu Bugeja and Imsieraħ Maltin. He always insisted on giving dignity to the lower class arguing that the authorities wanted to keep the workers and their families uneducated, maintaining a status quo.

Ġeraldu brought to light Manwel Dimech’s writings which had been censored for decades. In the 70’s he urged government to erect the Manwel Dimech and 7th June monuments.

He co-founded the Għaqda Maltija Sovjetika.