Lou Drofenik (born Lou Zammit, 1941) is a Maltese-Australian novelist and academic. She lives in Victoria, Australia.
Drofenik was born in Birkirkara, Malta. Her father was a stonemason. [1] She completed her primary and secondary education in Malta, and taught at the Siġġiewi primary school before migrating to Australia in 1962 under the Single Women's Migrant Scheme. [2] She followed undergraduate and graduate degrees in education at La Trobe University, and pursued her doctoral studies at the same university, focusing on the effects of migration on the moral identity of Maltese migrant women in Australia. [3] Since then, she has worked as an educator in the Australian Catholic primary school system. [2]
She is married, and has four children and eight grandchildren. [2]
She is the recipient of three Malta National Book Council Awards - in 2008 for In Search of Carmen Caruana in the category of Novel or Short Story in English, [4] in 2010 for Cast the Long Shadow in the category of Novel in Another Language, [4] and in 2017 for The Confectioner's Daughter in the category of Novel in Maltese or English. [5] [6] Two of her novels - Of Cloves and Bitter Almonds and Beloved Convict - were also awarded the Australian North Central Literary Award. [7]
Drofenik has published eight novels. Her fiction is founded on extensive historical research, and focuses on the migrant experience, specifically in a Maltese-Australian context. Her work is notable for its engagement with questions of Maltese and migrant identity, and has been praised for its engagement with female perspectives and experiences in distinction to the "predominantly patriarchal outlook" of much of the Maltese literary tradition. [1]
Judith Blume is an American writer of children's, young adult and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 25 novels. Among her best-known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Deenie (1973), and Blubber (1974). Blume's books have significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature.
Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison, known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987); she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Little Women is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888).
Carmen Jones is a 1943 Broadway musical with music by Georges Bizet and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II which was performed at The Broadway Theatre. Conceptually, it is Bizet's opera Carmen updated to a World War II-era African-American setting. Bizet's opera was, in turn, based on the 1846 novella by Prosper Mérimée. The Broadway musical was produced by Billy Rose, using an all-black cast, and directed by Hassard Short. Robert Shaw prepared the choral portions of the show.
Orgeat syrup is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and rose water or orange flower water. It was originally made with a barley-almond blend. It has a pronounced almond taste and is used to flavor many cocktails. Orgeat syrup is an important ingredient in the Mai Tai and many Tiki drinks.
Nicholas Caruana aka Nicky Bomba is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He is the leader of the ARIA Award-winning Melbourne Ska Orchestra, frontman of his band, Bomba, as well as the former drummer and percussionist of John Butler Trio. He has performed in other acts and as a solo artist. His youngest sister, Danielle Caruana,, is married to his former bandmate, John Butler. His older brother, Michael Caruana, is a member of Bomba and of Mama Kin's backing band.
Maltese Americans are Americans with Maltese ancestry.
Maltese Australians are Australian citizens who are fully or partially of Maltese descent or Malta-born people who reside in Australia. While most of them emigrated to Australia from Malta, a number emigrated from the United Kingdom where they had settled after having been expelled from Egypt, as holders of British passports, during the Suez Crisis. According to the 2016 Census, there were 175,563 people of Maltese descent in Australia and 37,614 Malta-born people residing in the country at the moment of the census.
Maltese literature is any literature originating from Malta or by Maltese writers or literature written in the Maltese language.
Cheryl Strayed is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch (2006) and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012), Tiny Beautiful Things (2012) and Brave Enough (2015). Wild, which told the story of a long hike that Strayed took in 1995, was an international bestseller, and was adapted as the 2014 film Wild.
Antonio Annetto Caruana, also known as A. A. Caruana, was a Maltese archaeologist and author.
Din l-Art Ħelwa is a non-governmental and non-profit, voluntary organisation founded in 1968 by Maltese Judge Maurice Caruana Curran to safeguard Malta's cultural heritage and natural environment. Since its foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored numerous cultural sites of historic and environmental importance. The organisation promotes the preservation and protection of historic buildings and monuments, the character of Malta's towns and villages, and places of natural beauty. They stimulate the enforcement of existing laws and the enactment of new ones for the protection of Malta's natural and built heritage.
Hollie Florance is an Australian women's basketball player. She is 190 cm tall, weighs 84 kg and plays in the Centre position. She attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 2000 to 2002. She was named the WNBL MVP during the 2006–07 season playing for the Bulleen Boomers. During the 2007/08 season she played offshore in the Italian Serie A League suiting up for Italmoka Pozzuoli. She has represented her country on numerous occasions, debuting at the 2002 World Championships in China where the Australian team won bronze. She has also won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics after missing out on selection during the 2004 Olympics. She was also part of the Australian team that won the gold medal at the world championships in 2006 and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Hollie is of Maltese heritage.
Danielle Caruana, known professionally as Mama Kin, is an Australian singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, Beat and Holler and The Magician's Daughter. She lives with her family in Fremantle.
Sharbat is an Iranian drink also popular in Turkey, South Asia, South Caucasus and the Balkans. It is prepared from fruits or flower petals. It is a sweet cordial, and usually served chilled. It can be served in concentrated form and eaten with a spoon or diluted with water to create the drink.
Suneeta Peres da Costa is an acclaimed Australian author best known for her tragicomic novel, Homework (1999) and a novella, Saudade (2018). She began her career as a playwright and also publishes poetry, non-fiction and literary criticism.
Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese writer, journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist, who reported on political events in Malta. In particular, she focused on investigative journalism, reporting on government corruption, nepotism, patronage, allegations of money laundering, links between Malta's online gambling industry and organized crime, Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme, and payments from the government of Azerbaijan. Caruana Galizia's national and international reputation was built on her regular reporting of misconduct by Maltese politicians and politically exposed persons.
Oana Caruana Pulpan is a Maltan chess player. She was the Woman FIDE Master in 2009. She is a member of the Maltese Women's National Team. Her father introduced her to chess when she was very young and has been playing it since.
Debbie Caruana Dingli is a Maltese painter.
Anna Grima, is an artist whose works have been exhibited in a number of European countries. Some of her work is held permanently in the National Art Collection of Malta through the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Art Collection.