Charles Casha
Malta
Fra Mudest - Karattru li għadda minn ġenerazzjoni għal oħra
Silta minn ittra li l-Prof. Oliver Friggieri kiteb lill-awtur:
Għażiż Charles,
...inti wellidt karattru li llum sar famuż u emblamatiku, u li nistħajlu bħal Pinocchio, jimpika miegħek. Għandek għalfejn tassew tkun hieni u kburi li rnexxielek tul dawn is-snin kollha, twelled u tagħti lill-poplu Malti, karattru li hu, daqskemm ma huwiex, tat-tfal. Persuna interġenerazzjonali li kiber (int kabbartu) ma' ġenerazzjonijiet sħaħ.
Fil-persunaġġ tiegħek nara Malti medju oriġinali, li jdaħħak u li ma jifraħx dejjem, u li taħt l-inġenwità tiegħu irnexxielek tinserixxi moħħ matur u qalb intensa. F'dan id-dawl il-persunaġġ tiegħek hemm xi ħadd li hu u ma hux modest. Irnexxielek toħloq suċċessur modern ta' karattru klassiku, bħal Ġaħan, imma hu wisq aktar kumpless u paradossali minn Ġaħan.
Nawguralek li ...terġa' taqbad ir-ritmu regolari tiegħek tal-kitba - kwalità konsistenti li jien dejjem ammirajt fik, għax kittieb tajjeb jikteb u jimraħ imma dejjem f'direzzjoni essenzjali waħda, li tgħaqqad kollox flimkien.
8 ta' Marzu 2018
Thousands of fans and readers across the years - including those who are now adults, parents themselves - have showered Casha with praise and thanks for this cherished character
Fra Mudest marked the beginning of an era of children's books. It was in fact Merlin's first ever Maltese publication.
Although the stories of this bungling friar reflect a Maltese village reality that no longer exists in the 21 st Century Fra Mudest is still very popular today, not only with the older ġenerations but also with the younger ones. At the same time, for those who lived through the seventies, Fra Mudest brings back many precious childhood memories.
The Malta Independent on Sunday.