Fr Charlò Camilleri lectures Theology at the University of Malta, and in this discussion he speaks with the author of the two books in the educational series ‘Ġikkur’, Cedric Chircop, about meditative practices suitable for children and the benefits of meditation in the field of education.

Cedric Chircop is the author of two books about Ġikkur, a fantastical creature who arrives to help a struggling boy better manage his anxieties through a mystical journey. The innovative picture books Ġikkur- Nifs ’il ġewwa u ieħor ’il barra, immedita ħalli tikkalma and Ġikkur: Aħna lkoll Naffermaw u fil-Karnival mal-Indjani Nkantaw are aimed to help children suffering from anxiety disorder, stress, and anger and introduce parents and children to proven stress management techniques in the format of a story, which address children’s emotional maturity.

Rev. Dr Charlo Camilleri O.Carm. read History of Art, Philosophy, and Theology at the University of Malta from where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts (1997) and Sacred Theology (2000). He furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome reading for a Diploma in an Interdisciplinary Course for Formators (2004) and also for a Doctorate in Sacred Theology (2007) with the completion of a dissertation entitled “Union with God as Transformation in Beauty: A Literary-Spiritual Analysis of the Colloquies of Santa Maria Maddalena de Pazzi (1566-1607)”. At present, he forms part of the Department of Moral Theology at the University of Malta where his lectures specialize in Spiritual Theology, Consecrated Life, and Gender Issues. He is member of the Akkademja tal-Malti. Author of various peer-reviewed articles and books, Rev. Camilleri’s latest works include various areas of St M. Magdalene de Pazzi’s mysticism as well as his first collection of poems entitled Tattwaġġi.