Exclusive: Maltese Writer Speaks Out After His Girlfriend Pressured To Resign From Book Council
Maltese writer David Hudson has come out strongly against demands by free expression group PEN Malta for his girlfriend Jasmine Bajada to resign from the National Book Council.
“In the spirit of open dialogue that Immanuel Mifsud and the NBC referred to, this statement is to be read with an open mind and as a writer’s complaint,” Hudson told Lovin Malta.
“People I will not name and have never named and who occupied positions of influence used to specifically give a platform to the friends within their camp and they used to give exclusive opportunities to each other. It is just one example of an incestuous environment that my partner, Jasmine Bajada, was trying to refer to without mentioning names or going personal.”
Hudson admitted he made a mistake when he reviewed a review of Bajada’s recent poetry publication for Times of Malta.
“Yes, I made a mistake when I wrote a review of her work, but it wasn’t part of a systemic problem within the literary industry and it wasn’t an attempt to hurt other writers. It was one single obvious error of naivety — ours was very visible, others are not and therefore more sinister,” he said.
He then proceeded to address the backlash Bajada faced when she wrote on Facebook that writers have to “whore themselves out” to succeed in the local industry.
Bajada's comment that caused such controversy within Malta's literature scene
Bajada had argued that local writers seek to build up their networks so that they can scratch each other’s backs through quid pro quo positive reviews of their work. However, the likes of poet Immanuel Mifsud have called for her resignation on the grounds that she is “calling writers whores”.
“She wasn’t painting all writers with the same brush. If anything, she thought she was speaking out for so many writers who aren’t provided with equal opportunity,” Hudson said.
“The writers who aren’t benefitting from the clique culture actually reached out to her and thanked her for her opinion because they too feel discouraged by the current literary climate and find hardly an avenue to write and be recognised.”
“The only ones rubbed the wrong way and the ones, in fact, who have come out in the open to respond to my comment are the ones who might prefer a discreditable National Book Council member to keep helping them drown out minority voices.”
David Hudson and Jasmine Bajada (Photo: Instagram)
Hudson warned that if his girlfriend were to resign from the Council, “the message sent out there is that she, impulsive though she might have been, is not wanted because she wants a fairer literary climate”.
“She doesn’t want to help anyone specifically but to provide a fair and just service to everyone, irrespective of which camp they hail from,” he said.
“In fact, over these past months, nobody can suggest that she has not acted fairly or professionally. As her past shows, she has been very helpful to all members of the literary community and has never denied anyone a good service.”
“She was diligent, respectful, but had a moment of weakness (or strength, depending on how you look at it) that would not now nor ever translate into how she conducts herself in the workplace.”
“Her history as a student at the University of Malta and then working within the same University speaks for itself. She is one of the brightest young minds working today and does not deserve her reputation and future to be tarnished for expressing an opinion that did not call anyone out personally.”
“Malta is part of a globalised and modern world; anyone who notices systemic discrimination and malpractice should not be punished for pointing it out.”
Hudson used a powerful quote by the late Oliver Friggieri to back up his case
“While it is difficult to peel open how far this systemic issue goes, any pressure for a just and diligent public servant to step down will no doubt lead to more damning revelations within the literary community to justify her statement.”
Hudson quoted the late Maltese poet Oliver Friggieri, who had written that at a time of stagnancy, “controversy assumed a positive character” and that it is often a necessary phase of change.
“This might scare some people, I understand, especially in light of Jasmine’s strong words, but sympathy at this stage would be a more appropriate response with someone who wore her heart on her sleeve for a moment because she thought she was doing the right thing, he said.
“I do not expect writers and poets to stifle someone’s freedom of expression and I certainly expected artists, who on paper should care about the underdog, the minorities, and the unprivileged, to understand.”
Cover photo: Left: Jasmine Bajada and David Hudson (Photo: Instagram), Right: PEN Malta President Immanuel Mifsud
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