Nov 16 – Chief Minister’s Speech At The Closing Dinner Of The Gibraltar Literary Festival
Your Excellency,
Fellow Ministers,
Sponsors and distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
This has been a tragic and sad weekend.
The events of Friday night in France have cast a pall over the past two days.
This morning’s poignant and moving festival service in the Line Wall Road Synagogue was a powerful reminder of how lucky we are in Gibraltar to enjoy our cultural diversity in peace.
Tonight, our Moorish Castle sports the red, white and blue of the French tricolour flag in honour of those who were cruelly murdered.
Our flags fly at half mast.
And tomorrow, at midday the Gibraltar will observe a two minute silence to honour the dead.
If any of you who are visiting us are still on the Rock, please join us in the display of respect.
Coming back to the festival, it is of course a pity that once again, the Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival comes to a close.
But only after having given us four days crammed with a stimulating miscellany of events and activities all over our city.
Reports reach me that the festival has once again been a brilliant treat for book lovers of all ages.
Once again, a feast of literature, art and history.
And tonight, once again, a feast of gastronomy.
This year, I have not been able to enjoy as much of this memorable extravaganza of culture.
But what a tremendous festival you have given us.
To the literary colossi that have graced our venues, from the art historians to the media celebrities, to the amazing story-tellers, opinion formers and world class chefs:
Let me extend to you my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the people of Gibraltar.
You have made us better by leaving with us a part of what is best of you.
My heartfelt gratitude also, for allowing us to engage freely with you, to be inspired by your scholarship and for taking us along to the pinnacles of learning that you represent.
In my opening I have deliberately referred to book lovers of all ages, given the superb innovation of an extended School Festival that has delighted children.
Such events give them an early taste of the wonderful world of books.
There can be no more solid foundations for the future than the books one collects along the path of life.
Even if one’s wife might occasionally threaten to burn half the collection for want of storage space!
Let me say too, that the festival has been a wonderful showcase for Gibraltar.
It has once again demonstrated our capacity to deliver as a leading venue of prestigious international events and conferences.
It has given us a valuable platform to present the best of Gibraltar’s people, the best of Gibraltar’s hospitality and the best of Gibraltar’s services.
Through you, our distinguished guests, we tell the world that we are an open community, ready to welcome them to our tourist sites and ready to do business with them in our boardrooms.
Please tell that world that we are a community that is fluent in the universal languages of peace, the universal languages of harmony and the universal languages of multi-cultural respect.
Dear guests.
As you have enriched us, I do hope that we have enriched you a little in these ways.
If I can put it to you this way: although the festival is “only” three, I do not think anyone can remember Gibraltar without it.
Or perhaps I can put it another way, no one wants to remember Gibraltar without the festival.
I am certainly totally committed to seeing it continue, whatever role I may have to play in Gibraltar’s affairs after the 26th November.
In fact, as you probably know, Gibraltar is currently immersed in an election campaign that will take place in a fortnight’s time.
However, Man does not live by politics alone.
So, I wanted to stress my Government’s continued support for this literary festival, and stress the importance we attach to it with my presence tonight and that of other fellow Ministers.
I was only able to attend two lectures this year: Dr Frankopan’s and Rabbi Levy’s.
I was tremendously enlightened by both their erudite contributions.
I take a lot away from what they taught us.
I would like to thank our new UK media sponsor, CityAM, who will allow us to showcase Gibraltar in London.
Finally, our thanks once again to the main festival sponsor Gibunco.
And congratulations to John and Eileen who are celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary this year.
John has this year also been invested into the Order of the British Empire and taken the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour.
Both very well deserved recognitions of his contribution to the prosperity of Gibraltar through the success of Gibunco.
Many congratulations to you personally Johnny.
Finally, to all the contributors, thank you once and again.
I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed us, as much as we have enjoyed you.
Pic: Mr Picardo introducing the lecture he mentions in his address: the Gibraltar Lecture by the Oxford academic Dr Peter Frankopan.
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