
On Gibraltar Play-Writing
As Gibraltar Literature Week enters its third day of events, local playwright Julian Felice reflects on the Rock’s long tradition of play-writing…
By Julian Felice
Gibraltar Literature Week kicked off on Monday and comprises of a varied programme of activities aimed at raising the profile of local writing and drawing attention to the work of Gibraltarian writers. A (hopefully temporary) alternative to the Gibraltar Literary Festival, the event is providing a valuable platform to a burgeoning local literature that only a few weeks ago found its existence having to be defended on social media and on the correspondence pages of our daily newspapers. With a pop-up bookshop – hurrah! – selling books by local writers, this is a big week for our literary figures as we promote our work in schools, in lectures and interviews, and online. As part of this, I have thought it appropriate to cast an eye on Gibraltarian play-writing and contemplate where we stand in this particular branch of writing.