Joe Julian Farrugia

Joe Julian Farrugia (born 9 April 1962) is a writer, songwriter and broadcaster from Malta.

He was born in Gzira but moved to Paola at the age of 5. He is the youngest sibling and only son of Francis and Beatrix. He attended St. Paul's Missionary College of Rabat Malta. In 1979 Joe Julian won the Anna Muscat Azzopardi prize in the Maltese language and literature from the University of Malta.

In his thirties, Joe Julian started to publish his writings. Initially some of his poems were published in local newspapers in Maltese. Later on he started to write the lyrics of songs. He took part in many song contests in Malta and abroad. In 1995 he won the Best Lyrics Award at the Għarb Festival in Gozo with Għajn ta' Sliem. In 1999 he won the same award in L-Għanja tal-Poplu with Faraġ ta' Xejn. He won the Konkors Kanzunetta Indipendenza in 2005 with Ix-Xemx mill-Ġdid and the Festival Internazzjonali tal-Kanzunetta Maltija 2013 with Hawn mill-Ġdid.

He represented Malta in several international song contests . He won the Discovery International Pop Music Festival of Bulgaria twice with songs Endlessly in 2003 and Time for Love in 2006.

He won five times the International Festival For Children Ti Amo, held in Romania. In 1999 American Airlines included one of his songs Jekk Għada Ma Jisbaħx on their playlist, readily available for to be played whenever any passenger requested a song in Maltese. Joe Julian also wrote two musicals and three Christmas pantos in the Maltese language.

In 2005 one of his songs, Life is a Train, sung by Karen Polidano was included by NBT Records (U.S.) in a compilation disc about trains.

In 2008, Ivan and Stani of Bulgaria sang his song You're Magic in their country’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.

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