Ramona Depares

Ramona Depares
Author & journalist Ramona Depares.
Born	(1975-07-24) July 24, 1975 (age 49) Valletta, Malta
Occupation	Journalist / Author Editor of Encore Arts & Culture Magazine Editor of HoReCa Magazine
Nationality	Maltese
Education	University of Malta
Subject	Biography, Journalism, Essays
Years active	1999 to present
Notable works	Beltin: Stejjer Minn Nies Minsija; Katya: Easy on the Tonic
Notable awards	Award in Cultural Journalism; Award in Opinion Writing; Best International Contribution Premju Għall-Arti 2023
Website
ramonadepares.com contentculture.mt

Ramona Depares (born July 24, 1975) is an author ^[1] and journalist ^[2] based in Malta. She obtained a Doctorate of Laws from the University of Malta in 1999. ^[3] Depares joined The Times of Malta as a legal reporter soon after, before taking on the role of executive editor of the in-house magazine E&D in 2007 ^[4] and, later, of Head of News. ^[5]

Current work

Today Depares runs a website that specialises in culture related features and reviews. ^[6] She is a theatre critic ^{[7] [8] [9]} and runs an SEO content-writing project ^[10] while working on new creative writing projects. ^[11] She is also the editor of Encore Arts & Culture Magazine ^[12] and of Horeca Malta, a magazine dedicated to the hotels, restaurants and catering industry. ^[13]

Awards

Year	Award
2014	Opinion Article Award, conferred by the Institute of Maltese Journalists [14]
2015	Cultural Journalism Award, conferred by the Institute of Maltese Journalists [15]
2023	Best International Contribution Premju Għall-Arti 2023, [16] as part of the group project Urban Fabric [17]

Publications

• Beltin: Stejjer Minn Nies Minsija, Merlin Publishers, ^[18] 2019, ISBN No. 978-99909-1841-0. A collection of short anecdotes harking back to the grassroots community of Valletta through the 70s, 80s, and 90s, ^[19] based on the author's recollections and illustrated by artist Moira Zahra. ^[20] The book is part of the Malta Book Council's foreign rights catalogue ^[21] and was lauded by veteran author Trevor Żahra for "keeping Valletta alive". ^[22]
• The Patient in Hospital Zero, Merlin Publishers, 2021, ISBN No. 978-99909-1932-5. A collection of short stories concerned with human nature, particularly its darker undertones. ^[23] The book is also part of the fiction catalogue at the Oodi, Helsinki's public library. ^[24]
• Katya: Easy on the Tonic, MGRM, ISBN No. 978-9918-0-0380-8. The authorized biography of Katya Saunders, one of Malta's first openly transgender women. ^[25] It was described as an "important documentation of the life of a woman who is viewed as a role model for an entire generation". ^[26]

Depares has also published works in several short story anthologies, including IHRAM's The Feminine Voice of Malta, ^[27] the University of Malta's Antae, ^[28] and literary journal Beyond Words. ^[29] She is part of the Merlin Publishers group of authors. ^[30]

References

1. "Taħt il-Qoxra: Ramona Depares | Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb". 2020-04-12. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
2. "News, sport, opinion, jobs and events from Malta and the world". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
3. Depares, Ramona (1999). The Industrial Tribunal : its functions and responsibilities : a comparative analysis (masterThesis thesis). University of Malta.
4. Malta, Times of (2019-07-09). "New appointments at Times of Malta". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
5. Malta, Times of (2019-07-09). "New appointments at Times of Malta". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
6. "Ramona Depares". www.ramonadepares.com. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
7. Trnka, Irma (August 2013). "Theatre for the Oppressed: The Effect and Influence of Shakespeare in Prison". University of Sydney.
8. Palumbo, Allison P. (2016). Strong, Independent, and in Love: Fighting Female Fantasies in Popular Culture (Thesis). University of Kentucky. doi:10.13023/ETD.2016.152.
9. "Bejn kanzunetta u poezija: il-lirika tal-Brikkuni". hydi.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
10. "SEO Malta - Content Culture by Ramona Depares". ContentCulture. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
11. "Kif tarani iktibni: Ramona Depares". Merlin Publishers. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
12. "Encore 2024 Issue 39". encore.com.mt. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
13. "Ramona Depares, Author at Horeca Malta". Horeca Malta. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
14. Galea, minn Owen (2014-05-03). "PBS jirbaħ sitt unuri fil-Malta Journalism Awards". TVMnews.mt. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
15. Galea, minn Owen (2014-05-03). "PBS jirbaħ sitt unuri fil-Malta Journalism Awards". TVMnews.mt. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
16. "Arts Council Malta - News - 6th edition of the Premju għall-Arti winners announced". artscouncilmalta.gov.mt. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
17. "Arts Council Malta - Malta at the London Design Biennale 2023". artscouncilmalta.gov.mt. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
18. idesign (2019-10-29). "Belt mimlija kontradizzjonijiet". Merlin Publishers. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
19. Media, Newsbook (March 17, 2020). "Media". Newsbook.
20. "Beltin". moirazahra.com. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
21. "Product Details". www.londonbookfair.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
22. "Collection of anecdotes documents lives of grassroots Valletta community". Times of Malta. 2019-10-27. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
23. "Exploring the darker side of us". Times of Malta. 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
24. Depares, Ramona (2021). The patient in hospital zero. Blata l-Bajda, Malta: Merlin. ISBN   978-99909-1-932-5.
25. "Malta: The tiny European island of tolerance". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
26. "Kotba | Storja ta' mara". Illum.com.mt. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
27. "IHRAM Books". International Human Rights Art Movement. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
28. Malta, L.-Università ta'. "Current Issue". L-Università ta' Malta. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
29. "Welcome". Beyond Words (in German). Retrieved 2024-12-05.
30. "Ramona Depares". Merlin Publishers. Retrieved 2025-01-04.