On 21 to 26 September the High Commission of Malta in New Delhi hosted renowned Maltese Writer Ms Loranne Vella on a Project of Cultural Diplomacy. Ms Loranne Vella visited India through the assistance of the Malta Cultural Diplomacy fund.

With the assistance of the High Commission, Ms Vella participated in two activities in New Delhi namely at the NAZ Foundation and at the Women’s Studies and the Development Centre within the University of Delhi. On both occasions, Ms Vella read excerpts from her latest publication “Marta, Marta” and had a discussion with the members and hosts of the respective institutions.

The NAZ Foundation and Trust was established in 1994 by Anjali Gopalan, and addresses issues of HIV/AIDS and sexuality which made it an ideal place for Ms Vella to delve into subjects such as Women, Peace and Security and LGBTIQ+ rights.  On the other hand, at the University of Delhi, Ms Vella also had the opportunity to interact with the Director of the Women’s Studies and Development Centre, Prof. Payal Mago, who discussed the position of women’s rights in both Malta and India.

In addition, the High Commission’s participation in the EUNIC Delhi cluster (of which the Malta Arts Council is a member) also allowed Ms Vella to participate in the annual Long Night of Literature in Kolkata. With the assistance of the Alliance Française in Kolkata and the Goethe Institut,  who offered their premises, Ms Vella together with various other European authors read and discussed their works with the literary community and the local members of the respective institutes.

The High Commissioner of Malta to India, H.E. Reuben Gauci thanked the Deputy Head of Mission, Mr Ivan Vassallo and First Secretary and Consul, Mrs Tarniem Mangion Shokri iskandar, for their work which led to the success of this project.