Photo: The Rector of L-Università ta’ Malta, Prof. Alfred Vella, pores over the new book, which the author Dr Charles Xuereb had just presented him with. Also seen is the cover of the new scientific research on colonialism and identity.
Dr Charles Xuereb, author of Decolonising the Maltese mind, in search of identity, published by Midsea Books, has presented a copy of his new book to Prof. Alfred Vella, Rector of L-Università ta’ Malta during a cordial visit.
Dr Xuereb’s 370-page treatise focuses on identity and holds that the Maltese still suffer from a colonial mentality that perseveres after Independence. Through a socio-historical approach, the author embarks on the decolonisation of the Maltese mind, after almost two centuries of colonial inculcation seems to have misplaced a sort of national ‘loyalty’ towards British imperialism, often embodied in overt devoutness to British ubiquitous monuments and the monarchy.
The author, a visiting lecturer in critical thinking and communication, memory, identity and postcolonialism at the university, attests that while the Maltese have, to their credit, reversed some colonial negative effects like forced emigration and the Island’s cerebral isolation from its Mediterranean neighbours, they found it more difficult to shed the colonial mentality that lingers on. With almost 1,000 footnotes, a rich bibliography and 130 images displaying points of illogical fidelity to the former colonialist, this academic study also includes, for the first time, a monument map of Valletta highlighting the majority of incompatible surviving British memorials in an independent republic.
The book is available and at main book outlets.
