MATTHEW SCHEMBRI
Prologue / A Reading in Maltese

READING & ARTIST TALK | July 25, 2026, 18:30

Zaratan - Arte Contemporânea presents Prologue / A Reading in Maltese, a special event with the multimedia artist, writer, and poet Matthew Schembri.

During this event, the author will read, for the very first time, the opening chapter of the next book in his ambitious Young Adult (YA) fantasy series in Maltese, titled Ta' Taht Fuq (Upside Down). The first book of this tetralogy, Il-Missjoni tal-Mostru (The Monsters' Mission), published by Merlin Publishers in 2025, follows Camilla, a 15-year-old girl covered in freckles. When Camilla glimpses the enigmatic Mark in an ancient well, her freckles emit an intense green light and her world is completely turned upside down. The series is a moving allegory of cancer, inspired by the author's late mother.

Following the reading, which will be held in the original language of the work, the creator will be available to briefly discuss his multidisciplinary artistic journey and answer questions from the audience. There will also be the launch of a risograph-printed poster featuring an unpublished poem by the artist on this occasion.

BIO | MATTHEW SCHEMBRI (b. 1993) is a multimedia artist, writer, and poet based in Malta. He earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Digital Arts in 2017. He won Divergent Thinkers 04 (2015), Shifting Contexts (2019), and was named The Young Artist of the Year in 2017 by Arts Council Malta. In addition to Malta, he has exhibited his works and been awarded art and literary residencies in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Croatia, and Finland. His debut novel, Stessi (Selfies, 2018), won The Literary Contest of Novels for Youth in 2016, and with his first poetry collection, Hassartek (I Erased You, 2021), he received the Best Emerging Author award given by the National Book Council Malta in 2022. In the same year, he was one of the winners of the A Sea of Words writing contest organized by IEMed and the Anna Lindh Foundation. His work has been translated into English, French, and Croatian.

LINK | https://www.matthewschembri.com/

SUPPORT | Zaratan is a structure financed by República Portuguesa - Cultura / Direção-Geral das Artes.