Manwel Dimech
Emmanuel Giovanni Salvatore Pietro Dimech | |
|---|---|
Manwel Dimech in 1911 | |
| Born | 25 December 1860 |
| Died | 17 April 1921 (aged 60) |
| 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(s) | Social reformer, philosopher, journalist, author and poet |
| Years active | 1898-1914 |
| Organization | Ix-Xirka tal-Imdawlin (Society of the Enlightened) |
| Known for | Social reform |
| Notable work | Il-Bandiera tal-Maltin, Ivan u Prascovia, Aphorisms |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia née Agius (1872-1938); married: Stella Maris, Sliema, October 2, 1900 |
| Children | Manuel (1902-1902) Attilio (1903-1918) |
| Parent(s) | Carmelo Paolo Francesco Dimech (1836-1874) x Evangelista née Zammit (1831-1900); married: St Paul Shipwreck, Valletta, October 2, 1855 |
| Signature | |
Emmanuel Giovanni Salvatore Pietro Dimech, also known as Manwel Dimech (25 December 1860 – 17 April 1921) was a Maltese socialist, philosopher, journalist, writer, poet and social revolutionary. Born in Valletta and brought up in extreme poverty and illiteracy, Dimech spent significant portions of his early life in the Maltese prison system, mostly on charges of petty theft. At the age of seventeen, Dimech was arrested for the crime of involuntary murder, and sentenced to seventeen years in jail. After being thrown in jail, Dimech started to educate himself and became a man of letters.
Upon his release from prison, Dimech became a teacher and publisher, becoming a major figure in the public life of Malta. Dimech spoke freely among the social issues facing the populace of Malta, earning him great support and popular approval. However, the ideas espoused by Dimech caused him to come into conflict with both the Catholic Church and the colonial government of Malta. After the Governor of Malta grew frustrated by Dimech's growing support among the Maltese populace, he was permanently exiled to Sicily, Italy. Dimech later moved to British-controlled Egypt, as it was the closest territory controlled by Britain at the time. Despite pleas from high-ranking British officials, Dimech was refused permission to return to Malta, and he died in Egypt in 1921.