During the next public talk at Il-Hagar Museum, taking place on Friday, the 6th of March, starting at 7:30pm, Rev. Geoffrey George Attard will delve into the exceptionally close and loving bond the English writer and scholar J.R.R. Tolkien shared with his mother, Mabel Tolkien, known before marriage as Mabel nee Suffield.
This bond shaped both his life and his faith. After his father’s death, when Ronald was three, Mabel became the sole caregiver and educator for her two sons, teaching them subjects such as Latin, French, botany, and drawing.
Her decision to convert to Roman Catholicism in 1900 resulted in severe condemnation and the complete loss of all financial support from her staunchly Baptist family, forcing them into poverty.
When Mabel died of acute diabetes in 1904 at the age of 34 – two decades before insulin was discovered – Tolkien, then only 12, was left orphaned and came to regard her as a martyr for her faith and for the hardships she endured to ensure her sons were raised Catholic.
This deep love and profound sense of loss left an indelible mark, influencing his strong religious identity and the themes of suffering, sacrifice, and enduring love found in his works.
Born in 1978, Rev. Attard is a priest of the Diocese of Gozo. He holds a Masters in Ecclesiastical History from the University of Edinburgh and a Masters in Theology from the University of St Andrews’, Scotland.
He is a member of the Oxford Tolkien Society. He teaches Church History at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Gozo (Malta). He reviews books for The Sunday Times of Malta.
As always, admission for this talk is free, but seat reservations are encouraged by sending an email to events@heartofgozo.org.mt [1]
Bejn il-Veru u l-Hlieqa: Public Dialogue with Judge Toni Abela
Toni Abela is probably best known as a politician and a judge serving in our Courts of Justice. However, there is another side to Judge Abela: that of a short-story writer.
On Saturday, the 7th of March at 11am at Il-Hagar Museum, Judge Abela will discuss this latter aspect with Notary Christian Zammit. This will be an opportunity to understand what the creative process involves for a person for whom writing and life are inseparable. Judge Abela has written about politics, current affairs, law, court sentences, and more recently, novels.
In this public dialogue, Abela will share the experiences and inspirations that have shaped his thinking into novels that blend reality and fantasy, hence the title of the event Bejn il-Veru u l-Hlieqa.
Admission is free but seat reservations are recommended by sending an email to events@heartofgozo.org.mt [2].
This event is being held in collaboration with Kite Group. Proceedings in this event will be in Maltese.
Il-Hagar Museum is located in St George’s Square, Victoria.
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