As the Zejtun Day celebrations for 2012 come to an end, the Zejtun Local Council awarded the annual Zejtun Honour to a person who through his past and present involvement in the local community is considered as an example to other Zejtun residents.
This year the Local Council has honoured Emmanuel Psaila and is presenting him as an example for others to imitate. Lino has been very active in our community and beyond not just by his crafts but also by his writings and promotion of the Zejtun dialect.
This is how Lino explains himself on his Facebook page:
My name is Emmanuel but known by everybody as LINO I`m retired but when I was active my main work was Blacksmith and Fisherman the opposite trades……..Fire and Water.
Fire to keep the forge active so you can create the iron or steel to various forms.and the water is the sea itself.Now in my retirement…..I write about ill fated Maltese fisherman most of them lost their lives while working on their boats. Il-Bahar Rasu Iebsa first published in 1978, now I am preparing for the fourth edition with new tragedies including the Simshar tragedy(2008) also I`m in verge of finishing another book which is more like my autobiography but all of it is written in Zejtun dialect
Lino went to the Zejtun Primary School in his childhood and studied at the De La Salle College. He is married to Maria and has two daughters; Kathryn and Rita and a son; Emanuel.
Lino is a very talented person, in fact since his childhood he became a kitemaster and participated in a number of kite (or manuċċi as we call them in Zejtun) competitions. He was the winner of several of these including international ones. Due to his talent he has been invited by various organisations to demonstrate the crafting of manuċċi , in fact Wirt iż-Żejtun had invited him to hold one of these demonstrations last August and this is also available on our website.
Lino is the author of the book “Il-baħar rasu iebsa” which compiles a number of researched accounts on the lives of fishermen, mostly from M’Xlokk and Zejtun, who had lost their lives when at sea. When one speaks about our spoken language, the dialect which gives us our identity, the first person coming to mind is Lino Psaila. He has been promoting the Zejtun dialect for years. He also used this dialect not only in his publications but also on his facebook page.
Lino is a person that should be looked at by others as an example. God bless you Lino.
Wirt iż-Żejtun 
PROSET LINO GHAD DEDIKAZJONI TIEGHEK LEJN RAHAL TWELIDEK U ANKI GHAS SNAJJA TAL MANOCCI LI QED TIPPROVA TAGHLEM LIT TFAL .RIGWARD IL KTIEB FUQ IT TRAGEDJI TAL BAHAR NIXTIEQ INKUN
JEKK HEMMX L’ISTORJA TAZ ZIJU TIEGHI, CARMELO CARUANA LI KIEN TILEF HAJTU DELLIMARA WAQT LI KIEN QED JISTAGHAD. ZAHHA LIZ ZW IETEN KOLLA.
IVA GHITA, DIK L-IL-GRAJJA QIEGĦDE, F-PUĠNA 278 TAL- KTIEB “il_baħar rasu iebsa”
Grazzi Mr. Psaila, min fejn nixtrieh il ktieb pls.?
Tista tixtrih on line minghand il-pubblikatur stess Midsea Books (Klabb Kotba Maltin
LINO, nifrahlek minn qalbi ghall-GIEH IZ-ZEJTUN li gejt unurat bih. Kburissimu bik ghall-pubblikazzjonijiet tieghek u l-kontribut tieghek dwar id-djalett zejtuni taghna u l-manocci fantastici li tohloq. Prosit !!!
Grezzju
(South Bend, Indiana, USA)
Nirringrazzja lilek hebib Zejtewni, vieru li l-unowr ircivejtu, u narga nirripieti, Kien jimmerituni dun il-gieh? X’taghjtu izjed minn heddiehor jien lir-rehel taghne? Inhoss li haw Zwieten li bil-busta ghamlu iktar minni u jimmerituhom dun l-unowr.
Niehu l-ukkazzjuni biex inwassallek l-isbeh xewqot mir-rehel ghaziz taghne.
Lieli ta’ Keterin
Nifreh ferm lil Lino Psaila ta’ dun l-unowr. Ghalkemm hawn min jghajt li d-djelett ma jistux jinkiteb, min idejn l-imghallem tohrog il-qalb Zejtunije kif jidher ukoll mill-passaggi bid-djelett fil-ktieb tieghow “Il-Beher Rusu Iebse”. Vieru proset.
Frank Fenech
Frank, tessew li haw min jghajd li d-djelett ma jistux jinkiteb, imme milli jidher dawn it-talin insew, li kif titkellem ilewm il-magguranza Maltija, gie mnissel kullu mid djelett,ghax id-djelett ilu mill hulqien, u din il-lindwe ‘standard’ mghandiex iktar minn sieklu u nofs.
Qieghad nistenne bunbardement shih fuwqi la jkewn ippubblikut il-ktieb LIELI TA’ KETERIN, mikewb kullu bid-djelett taghne u bl-ispjigazzjunijiet furma ta fonemi biex infisser it-tkarkira tal-vukuli E, u l-hatfa tal-vukuli U.
Insumma jekk dun ix-xoghol ikewn ipprizzut mqur minn Zejtewni wiehed, inkewn ghamelt l-ikbar trijonf.
Tislijiet
Lino Psaila