Frans Said
Encyclopedia
Frans Henry Said is a Maltese
broadcaster and author. His best known work is in Children’s Programmes, and Christmas activities for needy children.
Brought up in Floriana, Malta, his family had suffered greatly during the Second World War and were impoverished due to enemy actions. It was during the war and still a child that Frans Said started his literary career.
After the war he sat for a competitive examination to enter The Lyceum which at that time was the leading secondary school in Malta. Only a few students could be accepted. From thousands of candidates who sat for the post war examination he placed sixth.
His father died on the 12 February 1948, by which time Frans had already started taking part in the fledgling children’s programme on the local cable radio. He soon became known as Uncle Frans (Iz-Ziju Frans). In conjunction with these programmes, he wrote many original works in Maltese, and carried out translations of a number of classical works.
The radio management noticed his potential and he was sent to study, initially, at the BBC
in London
, and later on with RAI
in Rome
and the Happy Station Show
in the Netherlands. On his return to Malta, Frans had become the brains and driving force behind the Children's Programmes and what was originally a weekly half hour was eventually extended to a daily afternoon magazine edition.
With the assistance of others he pioneered children’s radio drama in Maltese. During the years, the children’s drama encompassed a wide spectrum from comedy, adventure, thrillers, musicals, up to pure drama. As a corollary from this he started to organise Christmas Parties, initially for the many children of the drama group and later on for the needy children of the islands.
was specifically brought to Malta to host 2000 children. In later years, these parties were held under the alternate auspices of the three UK services serving in Malta.
For his work he received a number of awards. He retired from broadcasting in 1979, after nearly 32 years active service.
in Malta as a junior civilian clerk. Considering that he was Maltese, his progress in the British RAF was rapid. The RAF sent him on a number of courses and training sessions in UK. Within five years he was posted to the RAF Headquarters where he received a number of promotions to senior positions. He enjoyed full security clearance and was also awarded, honoured and mentioned in dispatches. He retired from the RAF in 1967 when he joined the fledgling local industry.
With his meticulous approach to life, he had already prepared himself for the positions he hoped to attain having taken a number of specialised courses, invariably obtaining a diploma or certificate of competence.
He held a number of managerial positions reaching the grade of General Manager. Due to various factors, including the political upheaval of the 70’s, Frans sought work in Libya
. His first position was as Special Projects Manager in Marsa El Bregha (with Exxon
); and later, as consultant and advisor with the National Oil Corporation and other oil companies in Tripoli
.
, Switzerland
. Due to many personal commitments he declined but eventually accepted to act as Honorary Consul of Croatia in Malta. In December 1997, due to certain intrigues and political machinations he was accused of corruption and bad management. It took eight years (until 2006) for the Law Courts to reach a decision, in which Frans was completely exonerated and declared fully innocent. The Magistrate stated that all actions had been based on blatant lies and instigated due to jealousy, vindictiveness and intrigue. Eventually, the highest Law Court in Malta under its Constitutional jurisdiction declared that all the actions against Frans Said were frivolous and vexatious and awarded him appropriate damages.
During his tenure of office, Frans represented Malta in many international fora mainly connected with “oil”. He was a fellow and also served on the Council of the UK Institute of Petroleum and on the Permanent Council of the World Petroleum Congresses. He also organised a number of major conferences and exhibitions including MOEX and Clean Seas which also included the Clean Seas International Awards. In partnership with the University of Malta he established The Mediterranean College of Petroleum Studies (MECOPS) which was set up in association with The Petroleum College, Oxford, and P.I.T.S. of Alberta Canada.
During his sixty-six years of writing, Frans produced more than 1000 pieces of literary works both in Maltese and English. These works have been donated to the people of Malta, and are now kept in the Maltese National Archives in Rabat, Malta
.
from 1 January 2007. He is also personally reading these fables on Radio Malta as part of the programme "Newsline".
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
broadcaster and author. His best known work is in Children’s Programmes, and Christmas activities for needy children.
Early life
The youngest of three surviving children, Frans (Francis) was born to Mary née Brincat and Publio Said, a merchant. His birth took place at the administrative manager’s residence of the “Ta’ Braxja” Cemetery. His maternal family had been the owners of the plot and adjacent land where the British had built a cemetery for non-Catholic Christians, mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta. His mother had been staying for a few months with her family.Brought up in Floriana, Malta, his family had suffered greatly during the Second World War and were impoverished due to enemy actions. It was during the war and still a child that Frans Said started his literary career.
After the war he sat for a competitive examination to enter The Lyceum which at that time was the leading secondary school in Malta. Only a few students could be accepted. From thousands of candidates who sat for the post war examination he placed sixth.
Broadcasting and the stage
Both in The Lyceum and also in the town association, Frans joined drama groups. At school he used to take part in the yearly Shakespeare production, while in his group, he not only took (a leading) part, but more often than not, also wrote the script of the plays and comedies.His father died on the 12 February 1948, by which time Frans had already started taking part in the fledgling children’s programme on the local cable radio. He soon became known as Uncle Frans (Iz-Ziju Frans). In conjunction with these programmes, he wrote many original works in Maltese, and carried out translations of a number of classical works.
The radio management noticed his potential and he was sent to study, initially, at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and later on with RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and the Happy Station Show
Happy Station Show
The Happy Station Show is the world's longest-running international radio programme, having originated in 1928 on shortwave radio. Its run has been interrupted twice - from 1940 until 1946 due to World War II and again from 1995 when it was cancelled until its revival in 2009.-History:The program...
in the Netherlands. On his return to Malta, Frans had become the brains and driving force behind the Children's Programmes and what was originally a weekly half hour was eventually extended to a daily afternoon magazine edition.
With the assistance of others he pioneered children’s radio drama in Maltese. During the years, the children’s drama encompassed a wide spectrum from comedy, adventure, thrillers, musicals, up to pure drama. As a corollary from this he started to organise Christmas Parties, initially for the many children of the drama group and later on for the needy children of the islands.
The Christmas Parties
From a modest 300 needy children in 1952, these parties grew to big proportions, so that after 19 years (the last party was held in 1970) more than 40,000 children had been entertained. (This represents 12% of the population at that time of the Islands). Due to his eventual connections with the British Forces, he managed to obtain assistance from the armed forces. In 1960 the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (R09)HMS Ark Royal (R09)
HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier...
was specifically brought to Malta to host 2000 children. In later years, these parties were held under the alternate auspices of the three UK services serving in Malta.
Other Programs
For five years from 1961 onwards he organised and presented a weekly “Round Malta Quiz,” which enjoyed great popularity. He also organised large variety shows, tickets for which were sold within hours. In the sixties he took over the full organisation of the daily Children’s Programmes. All this work was done on a part-time basis as he had his own full time employment. For two years he was also involved in TV productions.For his work he received a number of awards. He retired from broadcasting in 1979, after nearly 32 years active service.
Civic Activities
As secretary to the Floriana Civic Council, he had also been active in civic affairs and was the co-founder of the Confederation of Civic Councils of which he had also been elected Secretary and was the founder of “Midalja tal-Meritu” (The Medal of Merit) (1968) (that preceded the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika award) that for a number of years used to be awarded annually by the Confederation of Civic Councils.Personal life
In 1957, Frans met his future wife Enoe (née Calleja) daughter of Maestro Abele Calleja. They were married on 24 January 1960. They had three children, namely Adrian, Joseph and Oliver.Career
In 1952, having passed his matriculation examinations, Frans entered the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in Malta as a junior civilian clerk. Considering that he was Maltese, his progress in the British RAF was rapid. The RAF sent him on a number of courses and training sessions in UK. Within five years he was posted to the RAF Headquarters where he received a number of promotions to senior positions. He enjoyed full security clearance and was also awarded, honoured and mentioned in dispatches. He retired from the RAF in 1967 when he joined the fledgling local industry.
With his meticulous approach to life, he had already prepared himself for the positions he hoped to attain having taken a number of specialised courses, invariably obtaining a diploma or certificate of competence.
He held a number of managerial positions reaching the grade of General Manager. Due to various factors, including the political upheaval of the 70’s, Frans sought work in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. His first position was as Special Projects Manager in Marsa El Bregha (with Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
); and later, as consultant and advisor with the National Oil Corporation and other oil companies in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
.
Return to Malta
In 1989, Frans was invited to return to Malta and offered the position of Chief Executive Officer of Medserv Ltd. (a parastatal company that ran a specialised port and provided support services to the offshore oil industry). He was later also appointed Managing Director. In 1993, the employees of the company nominated him, and a special government committee selected him, as The Worker of Year. During that period he was offered the position of Maltese Ambassador to the UN Agencies in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Due to many personal commitments he declined but eventually accepted to act as Honorary Consul of Croatia in Malta. In December 1997, due to certain intrigues and political machinations he was accused of corruption and bad management. It took eight years (until 2006) for the Law Courts to reach a decision, in which Frans was completely exonerated and declared fully innocent. The Magistrate stated that all actions had been based on blatant lies and instigated due to jealousy, vindictiveness and intrigue. Eventually, the highest Law Court in Malta under its Constitutional jurisdiction declared that all the actions against Frans Said were frivolous and vexatious and awarded him appropriate damages.
During his tenure of office, Frans represented Malta in many international fora mainly connected with “oil”. He was a fellow and also served on the Council of the UK Institute of Petroleum and on the Permanent Council of the World Petroleum Congresses. He also organised a number of major conferences and exhibitions including MOEX and Clean Seas which also included the Clean Seas International Awards. In partnership with the University of Malta he established The Mediterranean College of Petroleum Studies (MECOPS) which was set up in association with The Petroleum College, Oxford, and P.I.T.S. of Alberta Canada.
Literary works
On and off, Frans never stopped writing. During his sojourn in Libya he tried his hand at poetry, among other genres. After retirement, Frans wrote five full length novels in English and was also a member of the team that translated the acquis communautaire (the EU Laws and Court Sentences) of the European Union into Maltese. Frans alone translated more than 40,000 pages (representing 33% of the full task) dealing with every topic under the sun. He is also still active in producing articles for Maltese and foreign newspapers and magazines.During his sixty-six years of writing, Frans produced more than 1000 pieces of literary works both in Maltese and English. These works have been donated to the people of Malta, and are now kept in the Maltese National Archives in Rabat, Malta
Rabat, Malta
Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...
.
Latest venture
He has collected all the known Æsop’s Fables (well over 1000 fables), which he translated into Maltese. These started being published on a daily basis on the Maltese Newspaper L-OrizzontL-Orizzont
L-Orizzont is a national newspaper published daily in Malta. It is published by the General Workers' Union and has been published since 1962....
from 1 January 2007. He is also personally reading these fables on Radio Malta as part of the programme "Newsline".