Immanuel Mifsud: maltese irony and the passage of time
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In Malta, poet and playwright Immanuel Mifsud explores themes of mortality and the effects of time on people and their bodies through his poetry.
Serena Marinelli introduced Italian readers to Mifsud’s work, having previously translated his prose books When the Night Opens Its Eyes and I Saw You Cry. Mifsud received the European Union Prize for Literature in 2011, becoming the first Maltese author to earn the award, and the Homer European Medal of Poetry and Art in 2026.
His collections Fish and My Dear Body…, translated from Maltese into English, present a lyrical view of everyday death, the slow impact of time, and the challenges of life. Mifsud uses irony to describe these large topics in small moments, an autobus ride, a park bench, greying hair, or a high blood sugar reading.
One of Mifsud’s poems, “So Far Untitled,” depicts people waiting for a bus who are photographed and then die, their children holding a funeral and then joining them on a bench. Another poem, “Nights,” reflects on aging and the desire to escape into darkness. His work also observes the quiet lives of ordinary people, like a waitress at the Tivoli Restaurant and an archivist recording deaths, revealing hidden sadnesses and vulnerabilities.
