Rina Camilleri

The Maltese islands are tiny yet surprisingly rich in mythical creatures. Civilisations who occupied the Maltese islands weaved these beings in their stories and religious beliefs. Creatures such as the Belliegha (the well-serpent), the Gawgaw (man-beast), demons like the Jinn and the Afrit are among the array of monsters that populate our culture. Many of these have been relegated to fantasy, but, if one is attentive, they can be found in the stories narrated by our elderly, who vividly describe them in their generations-old stories. Mostri follows the story of Frans, a police detective who believes monsters are real and behind many horrific crimes. He has to prove their existence to the force and the police psychiatrist or otherwise he risks ending up off the force and into the asylum.

Mr. Bailey has come to a stage in his life where everyone around him has long left him, including his wife. To help shelter him from the pain of reality, he has his dog whom he has a strong bond with. After yet another traumatic event, Mr. Bailey reaches a turning point where he realizes that embracing death might be more realistic than fearing it.