Francis Cachia

Article submitted by Josef Ebejer

FRANCIS CACHIA was born in Valletta in 1928. He was educated in Malta, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and Germany. In 1981 he married Lilian Vella.

His studies for degrees and certificates besides Malta include England, USA, and Germany. Whilst in England Dr. Cachia had a Television Production course and attachment with the BBC. In the USA, he studied Ancient Greek Literature and Culture, Television Production and Theology at the University of Detroit and Loyola University Chicago, obtaining a Licentiate in Theology. In Germany his second home town he achieved degrees on Political Philosophy and Communications. The doctoral thesis was on the relationship between Literature and Television. He has lectured at the University of San Francisco, U.S.A.; Trinity and All Saints Colleges of Education, Bradford, England; Bochum, University of the Ruhr and the University of Malta and other institutes of higher learning. The subjects he lectured on include: Latin and Ancient Greek - language and literature; History; English Language and Literature; International Relations; Communication Studies.
 
While teaching in grammar schools and the Volkshochschulen in Germany, he was also engaged in educational broadcasting. At present he lectures on International Relations and in communication studies at the University of Malta.
 
Dr. Francis Cachia in his Diplomatic Career has occupied the post of a Secretariat of State, Vatican from 1965 to 1971 and of Maltese Embassy in Bonn from 1989 till 1992.
 
His publications include:

• Socio-Political Novels to TV Plays (Valletta, 1981).

• Mystery of the Vanished Paintings (Valletta, 1988).

• The La Valettes (Valletta, 1990).

• Asyl in Adenau (Adenau, Germany 1993).

• Preservation and Progress : A Tale of Two Towns: Kaster and Bedburg (Pieta, Malta, 1995).

• Vision and Verification - Variations on Themes of European Unity in Various Narrative Modes (San Gwann, Malta, 1997).

• Historical Drama on TV: Studies, Sources and Schemes. (San Gwann Malta, 2000.

• Profiles in Diplomacy - which is to be published shortly by the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, Malta, under the editorship of Professor Felix Meier, the Director of the Academy.

Besides these books, several articles were published in newspapers and learned journals including the UNESCO publications "CULTURES" and "MUSEUM".
 
At present he writes regularly in The Sunday Times (Malta). He has taken part in a number of Television and Radio Broadcasts particularly in the U.K., Germany and Malta. The more recent television productions in which he took part are: Mystisches Malta, for Sat I Television, Germany, and Min Kienu on the Community Channel. Also on the same Channel, he started a new Series in 1999 called Other Countries' Cultures. At present in Radio, he is presenting a series on Melitensia on VOM.
 
Francis is involved in different Societies and Associations

• German-Maltese Circle, Valletta, Malta.

• Maltese-German Association, Bonn, Germany.

• The German Association for New English Literatures.

• Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Malta.

• British Culture Association, Malta

• Friends of the Maritime Museum, Malta.

• Sacra Militia, Foundation for the Study of the Military and Naval History of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (also on the Committee).

• Neptunes Waterpolo & Swimming Club.