Manwel Dimech
| Manwel Dimech | |
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Manwel Dimech in 1911
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| Born |
25 December 1860 Valletta, Malta |
| Died | 17 April 1921 (aged 60) Victoria College, Alexandria, Egypt. |
| Resting place | Buried in an unmarked grave within the grounds of Victoria College, Alexandria, Egypt |
| Monuments | Castille Place, Valletta, by Anton Agius, inaugurated on May 1, 1976. |
| Occupation | Social reformer, philosopher, journalist, author and poet |
| Years active | 1898-1914 |
| Organization | Ix-Xirka tal-Imdawlin (Society of the Illumined) |
| Known for | Social reform |
| Notable work | Il-Bandiera tal-Maltin, Ivan u Prascovia, Aphorisms |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia neé Agius (1872-1939); married: Stella Maris, Sliema, October 2, 1900 |
| Children |
Manuel (1902-1902) |
| Parent(s) | Carmelo Dimech (1836-1874) x Evangelista neé Zammit (1831-1900); married: St Paul Shipwreck, Valletta, October 2, 1855 |
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Manuel (1902-1902)
Attilio (1903-1918)
Ulissis (1904-1906)
Sylvia (1906-1993)
Evelyn (1908-1996)
Manuel Dimech (25 December 1860, Valletta – 17 April 1921, Alexandria, Egypt) was the pre-eminent social reformer in pre-independence Malta, a philosopher, a journalist, and a writer of novels and poetry.
Born and brought up in extreme poverty and illiteracy, Dimech returned time and time again to the prisons, mostly on theft charges. At seventeen years of age he even committed murder. In the prisons, however, he studied hard and became skilful in letters and various arts. When finally set in liberty, he engaged himself in an energetic and enterprising public life by teaching and publishing. He aimed at an overall transformation of society in which the poor and abject would be given a rightful place as citizens of a free republic. Having incurred the wrath of the dominant political forces and the privileged classes, Dimech was permanently exiled from the island and was buried in Egypt in an unmarked grave.
The main literary source for Dimech’s biography is Mark Montebello’s extensive work Dimech, published in 2004 (PEG, Malta; vol. 1 of the 2nd edition published in 2013 by Miller Distributors, Malta). Though it is in Maltese, a fully documented biography in English is available as The Amazing Story of Manuel Dimech (Dom Communications, Malta 2014) and in Aphorisms: Wisdom of a Philosopher in Exile (SKS, Malta 2012).
Manuel Dimech was born on Christmas Day (December 25), 1860, at St John Street, Valletta, Malta, and baptised at the church of St Paul Shipwreck, Valletta. His family was poor and lived in a single room that was part of a common tenement house with over sixty people. His ancestors on his father’s side were genuine artistic sculptors, though up till Dimech’s birth his family had fallen on difficult times. During his childhood, Dimech’s family moved residence twice, leaving Valletta for Qormi (today Santa Venera), and then moving to Msida. His father tried hard to make ends meet, but his weak health prevented any success in this endeavour. He died at the young age of only 37, leaving his widow to care for ten young children.
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