The Most Famous
WRITERS from Malta
Top 7
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Maltese Writers of all time. This list of famous Maltese Writers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Frans Sammut (1945 - 2011)
With an HPI of 57.00, Frans Sammut is the most famous Maltese Writer. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages on wikipedia.
Frans Sammut (19 November 1945 – 4 May 2011) was a Maltese novelist and non-fiction writer.
2. Dun Karm Psaila (1871 - 1961)
With an HPI of 48.23, Dun Karm Psaila is the 2nd most famous Maltese Writer. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Carmelo Psaila, better known as Dun Karm/Dun Karm Psaila (Żebbuġ, 18 October 1871 – 13 October 1961) was a Maltese priest, writer and poet, sometimes called 'the bard of Malta'. He is widely recognised as the Maltese national poet and for the Maltese National Anthem called (L-Innu malti).
3. Anton Buttigieg (1912 - 1983)
With an HPI of 47.18, Anton Buttigieg is the 3rd most famous Maltese Writer. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Anton Buttigieg (Maltese: Anton Buttiġieġ [anˈtɔːn bʊtːɪˈd͡ʒɪːt͡ʃ]; 19 February 1912 – 5 May 1983) was a Maltese political figure and poet. He served as the second president of Malta from 1976 until 1981.
4. Joe Sacco (b. 1960)
With an HPI of 45.84, Joe Sacco is the 4th most famous Maltese Writer. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Joe Sacco (; born October 2, 1960) is a Maltese-American cartoonist and journalist. He is best known for his comics journalism, in particular in the books Palestine (1996) and Footnotes in Gaza (2009), on Israeli–Palestinian relations; and Safe Area Goražde (2000) and The Fixer (2003) on the Bosnian War. In 2020, Sacco released Paying the Land, published by Henry Holt and Company.
5. Peter Hitchens (b. 1951)
With an HPI of 40.96, Peter Hitchens is the 5th most famous Maltese Writer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Peter Jonathan Hitchens (born 28 October 1951) is an English conservative author, broadcaster, journalist, and commentator. He writes for The Mail on Sunday and was a foreign correspondent reporting from both Moscow and Washington, D.C. Peter Hitchens has contributed to The Spectator, The American Conservative, The Guardian, First Things, Prospect, and the New Statesman. His books include The Abolition of Britain, The Rage Against God, The War We Never Fought and The Phoney Victory. Previously a socialist and supporter of the Labour Party, Hitchens became more conservative during the 1990s. He joined the Conservative Party in 1997 and left in 2003, and has since been deeply critical of the party, which he views as the biggest obstacle to true conservatism in the UK. Hitchens describes himself as a Burkean conservative, social democrat, and Anglo Gaullist. He advocates conservative Christian political views, such as opposition to same-sex marriage and support of stricter recreational drug policies. Hitchens criticised the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially lockdowns and mandates that the public wear face masks.
6. Oliver Friggieri (1947 - 2020)
With an HPI of 40.91, Oliver Friggieri is the 6th most famous Maltese Writer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Oliver Friggieri (27 March 1947 – 21 November 2020) was a Maltese poet, novelist, literary critic, and philosopher. He led the establishment of literary history and criticism in Maltese while teaching at the University of Malta, studying the works of Dun Karm, Rużar Briffa, and others. A prolific writer himself, Friggieri explored new genres to advocate the Maltese language, writing the libretti for the first oratorio and the first cantata in Maltese. His work aimed to promote the Maltese cultural identity, while not shying from criticism: one of his most famous novels, Fil-Parlament Ma Jikbrux Fjuri (No Flowers Grow in Parliament, 1986), attacked the tribalistic divisions of society caused by politics. From philosophy, he was mostly interested in epistemology and existentialism.: Vol. 1, p. 184
7. Mabel Strickland (1899 - 1988)
With an HPI of 35.75, Mabel Strickland is the 7th most famous Maltese Writer. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Mabel Edeline Strickland, (8 January 1899 – 29 November 1988), was an Anglo-Maltese journalist, newspaper proprietor and politician.
People
Pantheon has 7 people classified as Maltese writers born between 1871 and 1960. Of these 7, 2 (28.57%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Maltese writers include Joe Sacco, and Peter Hitchens. The most famous deceased Maltese writers include Frans Sammut, Dun Karm Psaila, and Anton Buttigieg. As of April 2024, 1 new Maltese writers have been added to Pantheon including Mabel Strickland.
Living Maltese Writers
Go to all RankingsDeceased Maltese Writers
Go to all Rankings
Frans Sammut
1945 - 2011
HPI: 57.00
Dun Karm Psaila
1871 - 1961
HPI: 48.23
Anton Buttigieg
1912 - 1983
HPI: 47.18
Oliver Friggieri
1947 - 2020
HPI: 40.91
Mabel Strickland
1899 - 1988
HPI: 35.75
Newly Added Maltese Writers (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Writers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Writers since 1700.
