Il-Manifest - Chatting with Karl Schembri

After meeting a couple of times, to discuss the script before I started writing it and also after I actually rote it to discuss the outcome, I decided to interview Karl Schembri, the author of the novel il-manifest tal-killer.  We thought it would be cool to do the interview via the MSN. Little did we know that it would take us 4 sessions to do this interview. Each time being interrupted for different reasons… kids coming into my office… Karl got called for a Board meeting, we just got disconnected… anyway… finally we got all we wanted to say. Hope you'll enjoy it….

IF YOU'RE OFFENDED BY FOUL LANGUAGE… DON'T READ THIS... AND DON'T BOTHER TO WATCH OUR PRODUCTION….

Hi Karl, so let's get started. When did you first think about writing this novel?

I didn't think much about writing a novel, it sort of just happened. I had written this piece that today is the first chapter, toying with the idea of pluralism and how this was being used by the common man in the street.

I was somehow obsessed with this question: After years of censorship and microphones open only to the few... how is the Maltese 'citizen' reacting now, that the microphones have been switched on?

It was the question that somehow got me started thinking about this free and liberal radio station that is then faced with the inevitable consequences of 'absolute' freedom of speech - that is when its own existence is being threatened from within.

The idea then evolved into larger story, and one idea leads to the other and it ended up a full-blown novel.  The story behind Il-Manifest's publication however was a very long and winding one.

No publisher would accept to get it published even though behind closed doors they would tell me they loved the story. They just didn't want to antagonise their Christian clients or take the 'risk' of putting everyday vernacular language in print. Such is the state of the Maltese publishing industry in 2008.

It had to be an outsider to the book publishing business, Saviour Balzan, my editor at MaltaToday, to take the plunge and publish it. We had long discussed the need of an alternative publishing house but I never really pushed my novel with him. However I had handed him the manuscript before he went for a holiday and halfway through his ventures abroad he had sent me this sms telling me Il-Manifest would be our first book. I remember the scene perfectly because I was having a crap at home when I received that fateful SMS, which is just as well given all the shit I had to face to get my novel out.

The novel was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm from various factions of the Maltese public. The feedback and reviews were really good. Some great names like Mario Azzopardi also wrote the foreword for your book.

Reviews and feedback have been very sympathetic and encouraging. I was overwhelmed by people who told me they rarely read a book in Maltese but who couldn't let go of my novel until they finished it.

It's the kind of feedback that really keeps me going. Lots of my readers are what I used to believe were 'unlikely' sympathisers. Which taught me how fucked up our prejudices are.

I was approached by elderly people who loved the story, people I thought were conservative but identified with my characters, others whom I would have thought didn't even read... that really gives me a kick.

Mario was also of great support. He's a friend and author I look up to, but in writing the foreword for me and being such a great editor for my novel we ended up being foot soldiers on the trenches. I can only say I feel honoured flanking him on the front line in our battles against Maltese conservatism.

However, certain people decided to ‘censor' the book, am I correct?

After the long saga to get my novel out, the book was censored on none other but the University radio station, Campus FM.

Actor Ray Calleja had planned a series of readings from my novel but the man calling the shots at the radio station, Fr Joe Borg, banned him from reading it.

Now this was meant to be read after 9pm, so it's not that children would have been listening to my story after the MUSEUM lessons or something.
But Fr Borg does not want my novel read.

Just as if to confirm my doomed fate with the priestly class, I find out that my book was judged by a priest and a former priest for the National Book Award.

While writing a novel, do you actually give a face to the characters? If yes, are they usually based on people you know, or a mixture of people you know?

More than just a face, I build a whole profile of my characters in my mind, although I'm not sure they're always my creation. At best my characters end up with a life of their own, way beyond what I would have started with.

But of course when building characters I have to know how they would react in any situation. I imagine them in situations that would never appear in my writings. Would, say, Mario Brincat start swearing his head off if someone had to bump into his car?
Would he come out and beat the driver? Would he fetch the bumper-to-bumper form automatically? How would he act? And what would he say?

Most of those questions get answered as I write, becoming clearer and clearer, including the language every character uses. Of course there are some obvious public figures that inspire me, and others less public and less obvious, whose traits, language or parts of their real life make it to my stories. And that includes me, of course.

In these cases, I love blurring the lines of reality and fiction to the extent that when readers identify a particular character with a real person, they end up asking whether what they actually do in my stories is also real. I love that!

Good. That's very much in line on what we do in theatre as well. Did you ever think about having your novels adapted for the stage?

I have been approached by quite a good number of people who either thought of adapting them for the stage or for television, but this is the first time it is actually happening thanks to you!

I am every excited, but also a bit scared that my work is now out of my control, it's out there to be used, adapted, changed and transformed. Hopefully not censored again!

Having said that I have also written a few plays which I've never had the time to stage yet.

I have approached you before with the idea to adapt your first book Taht il-Kappa Tax-Xemx as a TV series, which never materialized due to the expense such a project entails... what was your reaction when I approached you on this one? Did you say, 'here we go again, high and dry' or what?

Not at all. I was flattered, actually. I had already started imagining how it could be adapted, and probably it would have to be 'reinvented' to fit on screen, in the sense that the stories themselves would serve as a spring board for even more new stories.

The characters of That il-Kappa tax-Xemx are all there, they are just struggling to get out of the book!

I don't mind that this hasn't happened yet. There's nothing stopping us, right?

Hopefully we'll find the needed sponsors in the future... How did you find the adaptation I did on il-manifest?

I'm very happy with the script as I think it has kept the essential spirit of the novel, including the language. Now I'm dying to see it come to life.

Obviously the characters you've set in your mind will somewhat be changed, first by the director, and then again by the actors themselves... do you think this will aggravate you in any way

Let me put it this way – and this is my first experience to witness my characters being interpreted on stage – I am counting a lot on the fact that you and I are on very similar wavelengths and so far we've been like reading each others' minds when we started setting out what is essential and what isn't for us from the novel. So I am quite at ease in that respect and that should not be an aggravating factor at all. The actors themselves have to lend themselves to the characters and make them theirs in the process, and I'm looking forward to that. I would only be seriously pissed off if my work had to be mutilated because of censorship considerations, or because of the overwhelming mediocrity pervading our theatre, television and culture in general that would render my work some sentimental, soppy story worthy of Becky as its main actor.

The book is controversial, both because of the language and the concept, and I'm sure being staged will create more controversy...  are you expecting any type of reaction during the marketing campaign and the performing nights themselves?

For the marketing there are several things we can do but of course I won't divulge the strategy. All I'll say is that it will be an anarchic campaign, reflecting the novel nicely.
I think the reaction will not be much different from what I got about the novel: The readers/audience will be much wiser and less conservative than the institutions.
On an official level, Malta is somehow bound to appear more Catholic than the Pope. Out on the streets, there's a silent yet subversive Malta rebelling in its own way.
That is essentially Mario Brincat. The main character of my story.

Do you expect any reaction from the institution at all, during the campaign and especially during the production nights?

I think they've made their point, particularly in trying to marginalise, but then you never know. Putting it on stage will give it a different reality of its own, so we might be facing some medieval minotaur ready to jump on us. Bring them on, I say, the more the merrier. I'm in fighting mode and there's nothing to stop us.

It would be interesting if we get them, as it will give us more publicity... so let them complain...

Yes - the shock factor might get us some free advertising, but frankly I'm sick of having to defend the basic everyday language when we're literally living it. Some are so cut off from reality or bloody hypocrites they can't see it written. Have they ever read anything? These people...It's exhausting. Read fuckin Irvine fuckin Welsh

Actually as a producer I don't think I'll defend anything... I'll just say, some people still think we live in Malta in 1100, yet the majority of the people KNOW we are actually in 2008.

Exactly!

Anyway, will you be attending rehearsal sessions, or do you wish to just see it all ready on a performing night?

Given it's ok with you I'd like to be involved, though you of course remain the director and I'm keen on respecting that. In fact I'm very glad we're working on the script together and can't complain about anything so far. Except perhaps that when we meet I'd like a couple of pastizzi ta' l-irkotta. It would fit the theme nicely too (il-pastizz Mario Brincat...)

Are you looking forward to the auditions, and eventually to see the chosen cast?

Yes I'm dead curious about who will be taking my characters and giving them a life of their own. And that's where perhaps I would like to come in to give my idea of the characters' profile. And of course I'd like to get to know Violet intimately lol.

She might look different to how you imagined her, as most of the other characters would be... giving a face while writing and actually getting one as an actor is not always compatible... How do you think you will react to this?

Well, the way an actor looks becomes secondary to the role she's playing and how she gives it her interpretation. So I don't think that's an issue. The concept is not much different from seeing a novel on film. One should treat them as totally different: they have different languages, different audiences, and different media. That's not to say Violet should be ugly!

There's already a good group of lemonhead actors really looking forward to the auditions, in fact, I've seen most of them reading the book... at least you sold some more books thanks to this production... (laughs)

Yes thank you for that (laughs)

How does it feel that actors are going through your book, and studying your characters and developing them for their auditions?

I feel read (laughs) Let me be honest. I'm always thrilled when I know someone is reading my book. Despite all the bullshit I tend to say, I am very grateful to the reader. The fact that someone sets ten minutes, half an hour, to read through my novel - it's exciting for me.

I know the feeling as it's the same with the audience when I'm directing

The challenge then is to keep them reading, and I want that to be somehow memorable. People who read tend to read all the time, and I don't want to be just a rotting book on their shelves, if you know what I mean.

What's really fascinating however is the outlooks and perspectives readers bring with them when they talk to me...

It's fascinating how a reader would interpet a situation in the book in a totally different way from what would have gone in my mind.
That usually happens also because of the 'speculative' nature of the story, and the erratic narration throughout the novel...

Ok... thanks a lot for your time. We'll catch up with you at a later stage.

It was nice answering your questions.