Merħba, a poem of hospitality is a narrative, musical homage to the unfailing and unconditional hospitality and warmth that welcome travellers the world over, despite the tragedies and hardships lived by families and communities on a daily basis. It is at once a celebration and a lamentation of our colourful, shrinking planet and of our common yet conflicting humanity.

Composed in 2009, the Merħba poem was part of an exploration combining Maltese verse with a wider variety of tongues, as a means to continue stretching beyond personal expression and to welcome and reconcile a plurality of close and distant voices. The diverse languages weaved into the poetry are not intended as mere ‘ingredients’ or exotic decoration, but as a living presence of the peoples that speak them.

Merħba, a poem of hospitality was awarded the Grand Prize of the United Planet Writing Contest in September 2009.