Kirkop receiving the award for his win of the 2020 edition of The Literary Contest Of Novels For Youth, with his novel Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor: HappyVeganGirlJules.
Marlon Chircop (born 5 August 1991), better known by his artist name Lon Kirkop, is a
In 2018, he had his first solo visual art show at La BottegaArt Bistro in Valletta, curated by Lily Agius Gallery where he exhibited a selection of layered mesh painting, a technique he invented himself through artistic experimentation, with a hard to define aesthetics. When in an interview was asked about his work's aesthetics, he replied:
"Most of the time my aesthetic changes according to the subject and medium used. Aesthetically, this series I’m presenting in this exhibition is so different to what I have produced so far that it is hard to define. However, textures and layers somehow always feature in my work, regardless of the theme. It is not always intentional, but I have to admit that I am obsessed with the notion of layering and exploring different materials."[10]
From time to time, Lon join forces with another two visual artists Hannah Galea and Serah Stringer, who are collectively known as The Peculiars, and exhibit their work together tackling social and controversial subjects.[11][12][13] In 2022, he was one of the selected artists for the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair.[14]
Kirkop debut as a playwright during the
young adult novel Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor: HappyVeganGirlJules (Maltese for "A Hundred Thousand Other Names: HappyVeganGirlJules") and won the Literary Contest Of Novels For Youth in 2020,[2] and in October 2021, this novel was published by Merlin Publishers.[6][16][17] The novel become an instant success not only with teens but also with adults and received positive feedback from both critics and readers, especially for its fresh voice, pace and provocative content. Kirkop's debut novel turned out to be a surprise hit during the Malta Book Festival 2021.[18] In an interview with Times Of Malta, Kirkop stated that he is not surprised that his novel is also proving popular with adults. He said "I cannot say I am surprised that it’s also doing well with adults. Although it explores the struggles of being a teenager in a world obsessed with social media, it’s also about relationships between family members and friends while touching upon social issues that affect many people irrelevant of their age."[19]
On the novel, the Maltese blogger/book reviewer Robert Pisani from The Bobsphere wrote:
“I’ve read quite a few novels about social media culture and behaviour. At this point, Mitt Elf Isem Ieħor is probably my favourite one.”
Mużika Mużika: Festival tal-Kanzunetta Maltija. The song was written with the Maltese composer Gilbert "Bibi" Camilleri and performed by Victoria Sciberras.[21][22]
The song Fil-Kexxun, which he wrote both the music and lyrics for, won the 46th edition of L-Għanja tal-Poplu.[23][24]
