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POLITIKOFF

One year since the passing of the colossus of Albanian literature, Ismail Kadare

Politiko 2025-07-01 10:25:26

One year since the passing of the colossus of Albanian literature, Ismail Kadare

A year ago, the genius of Albanian literature, Ismail Kadare, passed away at the age of 88.

He was the most prominent Albanian writer inside and outside the country's borders, who raised the prestige of Albanian letters around the globe.

Ismail Kadare was born on January 28, 1936, in the Palorto neighborhood of Gjirokastra. He remained in his hometown until the completion of his secondary education, when he prepared for publication his first cycle of poems “Youthful Inspirations” (1954). He then completed his higher studies in Tirana in the field of Language and Literature and graduated with a degree in “Teacher”.

Between 1958 and 1960, Kadare furthered his studies at the Maxim Gorky Institute in Moscow. In 1960, forced to abandon his studies due to the severance of relations between Albania and the former Soviet Union, he returned to his homeland and began his career in journalism.

In 1963, he published his novel “The General of the Dead Army”, which had an impact beyond the country. Kadare’s career marked other peaks with themes both local and universal. The theme of the freedom-loving nature of Albanians was also a theme in the novel “The Castle”, published in 1970. The same inspiration is also seen in “The Crosses Are Frozen”, which talks about the 1981 demonstrations of Kosovo Albanians.

Another highly acclaimed novel was “Chronicle in Stone” (1970). In the series of uninterrupted publications, the allegorical novel “The Servant of the Palace of Dreams” (1981) stands out as the most complex in Kadare’s entire work. In the fall of 1990, Kadare left for France and returned to his homeland after the first democratic developments.

Kadare has been decorated by the President of the Republic of Albania with the Order of "Honor of the Nation". Since 1996, the Albanian writer has been an associate member (for life) of the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. In October 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron, in Tirana, elevated him to the rank of High Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honor.

He was awarded a number of international prizes ("Man Booker Prize", "Prince of Asturias", etc.), being selected among the ranks of world-renowned writers, such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Günter Grass and Milan Kundera.

So far, his works have been translated into about 45 languages ​​of the world./ ATA

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