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My name is Antonio Cremona, better known as “Is-Sur Nin”. I was born at Rabat, Gozo, on the 27th May, 1880. On my father’s death, I joined my uncle in Tunis. I received my first education at the Christian Brothers’ school and at St Charles College. In 1898 I returned to Malta and continued my studies in Gozo and at the Malta Seminary where I met Dun Karm Psaila. In 1900, I joined the Public Service and in 1904 was appointed Sanitary Inspector.
In 1928 I became responsible for all the translations of the government publications. I started teaching Maltese at the Lyceum in 1936 and was also examiner of Maltese at the University of Malta.
In 1920, the Għaqda tal-Kittieba tal-Malti was founded on the initiative of Maltese authors. I served as its vice-president. I was also editor of Il-Malti, the organ of the Għaqda. I dedicated my life to the promotion of Maltese culture and the scientific study of the language, including philology, grammar, folklore and history of Malta. My greatest contribution was the creation of a system by which Maltese could have a uniform orthography. I published this system in 1924 in Tagħrif fuq il-Kitba Maltija. My interest in the Maltese language is seen at its best in the essay X’inhu l-Malti Safi, written in 1925. I published also three anthologies of poetry, a play called Il-Fidwa tal-Bdiewa and a biography Mikiel Anton Vassalli u Żminijietu.
For my contribution to the Maltese language, I was honoured with the degree D.Litt (Hons Causa) by the University of Malta in 1960.
This monument by Alfred Camilleri Cauchi, was erected on the initiative of the teachers and students of the Gozo Lyceum. It was unveiled on the 25th May 1973 by the Hon. Agatha Barbara, Minister of Education.
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