RamonaDepares

A multi-award-winning journalist, Depares spent over a decade as a Features Editor and later as Head of News with the Times of Malta. She has participated in various conferences and seminars as a cultural speaker and panellist. Additionally, she is a visiting lecturer in cultural journalism and creative writing at the University of Malta.

Depares developed a lifelong passion for literature at age six, when she first began reading. She admires authors like Gerald Durrell, Neil Gaiman and Roald Dahl. She is particularly influenced by female writers Sylvia Plath, Anaïs Nin and Colette, who inspire her fearless approach to writing and fuel her dedication to addressing gender equality, diversity and women’s rights.

Depares’s commitment to these topics is evident in her biography of Katya Saunders called Katya: Easy on the Tonic (MGRM, 2022). Saunders was one of Malta’s first openly transgender individuals. By tracing Katya’s journey from Malta to London, New York and other countries, Depares crafts a narrative that captures Saunders’s fearless pursuit of becoming a diva. The book reveals the challenges faced by Saunders, who struggled to conform to societal norms, and highlights the courage and determination she displayed in her quest for a fulfilling life, paving the way for future generations.

In the semi-autobiographical Beltin: Stejjer minn Nies Minsija (‘Beltin: Stories from forgotten people’, Merlin Publishers, 2019), Depares reflects on her childhood in Valletta, vividly bringing to life the characters who shaped her past and were deeply intertwined with the city’s soul. Depares captures the spirit of Valletta in the Eighties, a time when it was a world unto itself, untouched by the gentrification and commercial exploitation that would follow. Through a series of free verse poems, she paints a poignant picture of growing up in a capital city that, though nearly a ghost town, was rich in character. The blend of nostalgia, poetry and her journalistic insight creates a heartfelt tribute to both the city and its people, emphasising their inseparable identities.

The Patient in Hospital Zero (Merlin Publishers 2021), a collection of nine short stories, marks a significant departure from the works mentioned above, showcasing her penchant for the whimsical and the surreal. Depares delves into the strange, often overlooked aspects of humanity by crafting characters and narratives that feel both familiar and uncanny. In ‘Her Good Luck Charm’, for instance, the protagonist is caught in a harsh reality that unfolds into a series of events blurring the line between truth and superstition. Similarly, ‘A Smidgeon of Confidence’ presents a scenario that can be interpreted through either psychological or paranormal lenses. The recent COVID pandemic also features in some of the stories, highlighting the surreal nature of that time, once so vivid, now increasingly dreamlike.

Ramona Depares’s body of work reflects her diverse talents and willingness to explore complex themes. Depares consistently pushes boundaries with a style that both informs and entertains, challenging societal norms and enriching Maltese literature in the process.