The Ghosts of Malta by Joseph Attard
The Ghosts of Malta is a 1983 book by Maltese writer Joseph Attard, known for his work on Malta’s wartime history and the supernatural. It combines local legends, reported incidents, and the author’s own experiences, placing accounts of haunted palaces and houses, poltergeists, miracles, and apparitions within the island’s wider history.
On the cover, the title is set in ITC Honda in white and bright green over a monochrome illustration. The alternate t is used in “the”, while the M in “Malta” is not, as initially assumed, a custom-built form based on the U, but is instead one of the typeface’s available biform alternates, as shown in a 1970s specimen by Conways (see Florian Hardwig’s comment below).
The author’s name is set in Italia. The same face is used throughout the interior for the title page and other headings, as well as for the back-cover copy. Univers is used for the body text.
First published by Gulf Publishing Ltd, Valletta, in 1983. 179 pages; 18.5×11.5×1 cm; paperback. Phototypeset by Comprint Ltd, Malta; printed by Imprint Ltd, Malta.
2 Comments on “The Ghosts of Malta by Joseph Attard”
Hi Patrick,
I checked my specimens and found that ITC Honda did include such an alternate, enlarged lowercase form for M. It’s shown in a 1970s specimen by Conways, alongside more biform alternates for AEINR:
Thanks, Florian! That’s very insightful. I’ve added this information to the text above.