Roderick "Rigu" Bovingdon (born 28 September 1942) is an Anglo-Maltese Australian writer, academic, promoter of Maltese culture, social commentator, translator and musician.[1][2]
| Roderick Bovingdon | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 28 September 1942 (age 81) Attard |
| Occupation |
|
| Language | |
| Alma mater | University of Malta, University of New England, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, University of Oxford |
| Notable awards | Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika |
| Children | 2 |
Early life edit
Roderick Bovingdon was born in Attard, Malta, on 28 September 1942 to Rebekka Debono and Henry Charles Bovingdon, an Englishman born in South Africa.[3] The family emigrated from Malta by boat and disembarked on the shores of Woolloomooloo, Sydney, Australia on 14 January 1959, when he was 16 years old.[4]
Career edit
The language of any group and/or nation is the sole cultural and intellectual property of the people who speak it: collectively.[5]
— Roderick Bovingdon, Malta Independent article, 2012
In 1968, Roderick Bovingdon founded the first School of Maltese Language outside of Malta.[6]
in 1974, he played a key role in the initiation of a popular Maltese song festival in Australia.[7]
National for the Maltese Language edit
He has written numerous opinion pieces and commentary criticizing the National Council for the Maltese Language's prescriptivist stance and dismissive approach to diasporic linguistic norms.[2][7]
Council for Maltese Living Abroad edit
In 2012, Tonio Borg, then-Deputy Prime Minister of Malta and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta, appointed Roderick Bovingdon to the Board of Experts as the Maltese community expert for Australia as part of the Council for Maltese Living Abroad, a council tasked with "keeping a registry of non-governmental organisations that were founded overseas by Maltese communities," among other initiatives and services for the Maltese diaspora.[8][9][10][11]
Musical career edit
In 1974, Rigu Bovingdon pioneered Maltese-language pop music outside Malta with the release of Bejn il-Ħbieb (Between friends), which was recorded in Sydney, Australia.[12]
Għana singers Rigu Bovingdon and Joe Galea were featured in L’Imnarja, Fête des lumières (Malte),[13] a 1983 documentary produced by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).[14]
Personal life edit
In 1965, he married Iris Pace. They have two sons.[3]
Awards and honours edit
On 13 October 2012, Bovingdon was named Honorary member of the Maltese Poets Association (in Maltese: Għaqda Poeti Maltin)[15]
His 2015 book Laurent Ropà: L-Intellettwali Għawdxi-Franċiż was considered for the 2016 National Book Prize in the Historiographic Research category.[16]
On 13 December 2018, he was awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (Medal for Service to the Republic).[17][18]
Discography edit
Publications edit
- 1982 - Jekk[21]
- 1985 - Maltese Literature in Australia
- 2001 - The Maltese Language of Australia - Maltraljan[22]
- 2009 - The Ballad of Truganini : Original Version and Translation from Maltese Il-ballata tat-Truganini[23]
- 2015 - Laurent Ropà: L-Intellettwali Għawdxi-Franċiż
- 2019 - Maltralian : the Maltese ethnolect of Australia[24]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Roderick Bovingdon". AustLit. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ a b Carabott, Sarah (28 August 2017). "National Council 'should not have' absolute power over Maltese". Times of Malta. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ a b Saliba, Joe (2 October 2009). "BILLABONG: RIGU BOVINGDON STUDJU". BILLABONG (in Maltese). Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Palma, Alfred (29 August 2021). "Aporija mill-Ġdid by Roderick (Rigu) Bovingdon". The Malta Independent. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Malta Independent Clarion call for an overall review of the KNM legislation, 25 November 2015
- ^ "Roderick Bovingdon". BDL Books. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ a b Watson, Gordon (13 December 2018). "Dr Tonio Borg and others, honoured on Republic Day". Newsbook. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Council of Maltese Living abroad set up". foreignandeu.gov.mt. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Council for Maltese Living Abroad - M3P". www.m3p.com.mt. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Council for the Maltese Living Abroad". foreignandeu.gov.mt. 18 September 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Council for Maltese Living Abroad Act". legislation.mt. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Rigu Bovingdon - M3P". maltamedia.net. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Grima, Adrian (8 July 2021). "Dokument Etnografiku tal-Imnarja tal-1976". adriangrima.org. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Imnarja, fête des lumières (L') | CNRS Images". images.cnrs.fr (in French). Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "GĦAQDA POETI MALTIN: L-Għaqda Poeti Maltin taħtar Membru Onorarju ġdid". GĦAQDA POETI MALTIN (in Maltese). 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "National Book Prize and Terramaxka Prize Participants 2016 | Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ktieb". 10 June 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Scicluna, Frank L (January 2019). "MALTA NATIONAL ORDER OF MERIT "MIDALJA TAL-QADI TAR-REPUBBLIKA"" (PDF). Maltese e-Newsletter - The Journal of the Maltese Diaspora. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ "Republic Day 2018 | Honours and Awards". MaltaToday.com.mt. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Rigu – L-Ahhar Ghana (Cassette), retrieved 8 September 2021
- ^ Rigu – Maltin U Ghawdxin (1977, Vinyl), retrieved 8 September 2021
- ^ "Rigu Bovingdon". Malta Poetry u Poezija Plus (in Maltese). 7 November 2007. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ Bovingdon, Roderick (2001). The Maltese language of Australia: Maltraljan: a lexical compilation with linguistic notations & a social, political and historical background. Muenchen: Lincom Europa. OL 19551169M.
- ^ "Trove". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Bovingdon, Roderick (2019). Maltralian: the Maltese ethnolect of Australia. LINCOM grammar surveys. Vol. 2. München: Lincom Europa. ISBN 978-3-86288-920-4.
