Kosovan Literature
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The literature of
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
is composed of literary texts written in
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
,
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
, Bosnian, and
Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...
, specifically by authors of Kosovo. Kosovo produced several prominent writers in the Ottoman era. However, Ottoman authorities banned the written use of the Albanian language until 1912. This policy continued during Serb rule until the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. After the war, school tests were mostly in Serbian due to historic circumstances; after Serbia acquired Kosovo, Albanian-language schooling and publishing were suppressed. Underground literature flourished in the late 1940s, which were written and published in Albanian. Under
Aleksandar Ranković Aleksandar Ranković (nom de guerre Marko, nicknamed Leka; sr-Cyrl, Александар Ранковић Лека; 28 November 1909 – 19 August 1983) was a Serbian and Yugoslav communist politician, considered to be the third most powerful ...
, everybody who bought the Albanian-language newspaper
Rilindja The Albanian National Awakening ( or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political, and social movement in the Albanian history where the Albanian ...
was registered with the secret police. Full Albanian-language and cultural facilities were granted by the Yugoslav constitution of 1974, and
Kosovo Albanian The Albanians of Kosovo (, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars (), constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. Kosovo Albanians belong to the ethnic Albanian sub-group of Ghegs, who inhabit the north of ...
literature and culture flourished.


Serbian literature in Kosovo

Kosovo, as well as Raška and
Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...
, was the home of many pieces of early Serb literature from the 13th century onward. The most prominent Serb literary figures in Kosovo during the 20th century were novelist
Vukašin Filipović Vukašin "Vuk" Filipović ( Stanovc, near Vučitrn, Morava Banovina, Yugoslavia, 30 August 1930 – Priština, Kosovo, Serbia, Yugoslavia, 1990) was a Serbian writer, painter and professor at the University of Priština. He is considered one of t ...
, poets
Darinka Jevrić Darinka Jevrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Даринка Јеврић; 21 October 1947 – 16 February 2007) was a Kosovo Serb poet. Background Jevrić was born in Glođane (Gllogjan) near Peć. She worked for 25 years as a cultural journalist and cri ...
, Petar Sarić and
Radosav Stojanović Radosav Stojanović ( sr-cyr, Радосав Стојановић; born 1 November 1950) is a Serbian writer, journalist and lexicographer. Biography He grew up in Mlačište in Crna Trava and attended school in Mlačište, Crna Trava, Niš an ...
, and
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
writer
Lazar Vučković Lazar Vučković (1937 – 26 August 1966) was a Serbian and Yugoslav poet. Along with poets and writers Petar Šarić, Vukašin Filipović, Darinka Jevrić, Radosav Stojanović and Vladan Virijević, he is considered one of the leading 20th ...
.


Ottoman era

During Ottoman rule, Kosovo was part of the broader Ottoman literary culture; Prizren had libraries, a medrese, schools, and a hamam. Prominent writers include: *
Pjetër Bogdani Pjetër Bogdani (; 1627 – 6 December 1689) was the most original writer of Old Albanian literature. He was author of the Cuneus Prophetarum (''The Band of the Prophets''), 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in (Gheg) A ...
, the first Kosovar-Albanian writer; * Celalzade Salih Çelebi, a historian; * Pristinaşi Mesihi, who pioneered humorous
Ottoman Turkish language Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register (sociolinguistics), register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian language, Persian. It ...
poetry; * Prizrenli Suzi Çelebi, who also founded an important
vakıf A (; , plural ), also called a (, plural or ), or '' mortmain'' property, is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or chari ...
; *
Aşık Çelebi Pir Mehmed ("Mehmed the Pir"; 1520–1572), better known as Aşık Çelebi ("Gentleman Bard" in Turkish), was an Ottoman biographer, poet, and translator. Born in Prizren, he served as '' kadi'' (judge) in many towns of the Rumelia. His majo ...
, Ottoman biographer, poet, and translator. *
Tahir Efendi Jakova Tahir Efendi Gjakova (1770–1850 or 1835), also known as Tahir Efendi Boshnjaku or The Great Efendi (), was an Albanian religious leader of the Yakova region in Kosovo, as well as one of the most known Albanian bejtexhinj. He lived and serve ...
,
Bejtexhi A bejtexhi (, , a compound of Arabic ] and
rom Turkish , occupational suffix Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...
plural: bejtexhinj ) was a popular bard of the Muslim tradition in Ottoman Albania. The genre of literature created by bejtexhinj in the 18th century prevailed in d ...
nj movement poet, teacher, and religious leader


Later history

Little is known in the field of literary in countries which were once part of the
Soviet bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
. Strict politics and
obscurantism In philosophy, obscurantism or obscurationism is the Anti-intellectualism, anti-intellectual practice of deliberately presenting information in an wikt:abstruse, abstruse and imprecise manner that limits further inquiry and understanding of a subj ...
had forbid authors to freely express their thoughts for years, and it was impossible for them to see their works published and gain prominence in the literary world. However, after the fall of the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, Europe is now discovering a new interest in Eastern Europe. Not only in terms of travels and foreign relationships, but also from a cultural perspective. Kosovo certainly stands as the most peculiar nations which were formed from the dissolution of
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
. To this day, Kosovo's independence as a state is still open to debate, and the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
has not expressed an opinion on this matter yet. With such undefined situation, one might wonder if there is a cultural voice that defines this country and the answer is not definite as well. The truth is that no one speaks of "Kosovar Literature" but it's more likely one hears of "Albanian Literature of Kosovo", because that is what it is. But despite this literature being defined through the use of the term "Albanian", it still holds a peculiarity which makes it a bit foreign to the Albanian ear. The 1990s were a particular hard time for
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
and in the years leading to the 1999 war, the country's dissidents could either be threatened or worse. Discrimination and the strictness of Serbian rule did not allow this generation of Albanian speaking writers to express themselves. In addition to the chaos and repression taking place in Kosovo, the country's intellectual minds had language issues to overcome: having been denied access to Albanian as a language as part of the educational system in Kosovo, barriers could then be found in literary form.


After World War II

Albanian literature in Kosovo was set off by poet
Esad Mekuli Esad Mekuli ( sr-cyrl, Есад Мекули; 17 December 1916 – 6 August 1993) was an Albanian poet, critic and translator. He was the first president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo. Robert Elsie considered him the father ...
(1916–1993) who was the founder of the literacy periodical Jeta e Re in 1949, even though it was not active until the 1960s. In addition to that the novelist Adem Demaci, who spent twenty-eight years as a political prisoner of Yugoslavian government, also plays a huge role in the advancement of the magazine "Jeta e Re" which later was published as a book, as well as the successful collections Njifyell ndër male (1953; a flute in the mountains), and Kânga e vërrinit (1954; song of the lowland pastures) by
Martin Camaj Martin Camaj (21 July 1925 – 12 March 1992) was an Albanian folklorist, linguist, poet, and writer. He is regarded as one of the major authors of modern Albanian prose. His novel ''Rrathë'' is considered to be the first psychological novel w ...
who become a leading scholar of Albanian studies in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. In 1974, more freedom and a semblance of equality was given to Kosovo Albanians by the Yugoslav constitution for the first time, and literature bloomed on the Plain of the Blackbird in the following decade. From the several leading prose writers, some that are worth mentioning are Anton Pashku (1937–1995),
Rexhep Qosja Rexhep Qosja (born 25 June 1936) is an Albanian writer, literary critic and Professor at University of Prishtina. He is a prolific literary critic and literary historian of Albanian literature. As a writer he is mostly known for his 1974 novel 'D ...
(b. 1936), notably for his explosive
political novel Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fant ...
Vdjeka më vjen prej syve të tillë (1974; death comes from such eyes), Nazmi Rrahmani who was a prolific novelist (b. 1941) and Teki Dervishi ( 1943). Kosovo's poetry has been a lot more creative and experimental compared Albania. Among its leading proponents are
Din Mehmeti Din Mehmeti (1932 – 12 November 2010) was an Albanian poet from Kosovo. He was among the best-known classical representatives of contemporary verse in Kosovo. Career Mehmeti was born in 1932 in Gjocaj, Junik, near Gjakova, Kosovo, and attended ...
(1932), Besim Kokshi (b. 1932), Azem Shkreli (b. 1938), Rrahman Dedaj (1939), Ali Podrimja (1942), Eqrem Basha (1948), Sabri Hamiti (1950), and Asri Çapriqi (1960).


Dialects

There are two distinct dialects in modern Albanian. Catholic priests wrote most of the Albanian literature in Toske dialect and
Gheg Gheg or Geg (Gheg Albanian: ''gegnisht'', Standard ) is one of the two major varieties of Albanian, the other being Tosk. The geographic dividing line between the two varieties is the Shkumbin River, which winds its way through central Alba ...
which is spoken in northern Albania and Kosovo. It is also spoken in Northern Albania, North Macedonia, and in parts of Montenegro. Each area of Northern Albania has its own sub-dialect:
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
,
Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...
,
Elbasan Elbasan ( , ; sq-definite, Elbasani, ) is the fourth most populous city of Albania and seat of Elbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in centr ...
and
Kavajë Kavajë ( , sq-definite, Kavaja) is a city and municipality centrally located in the Western Lowlands region of Albania, in Tirana County. It borders Durrës to the north , Tirana, Tiranë to the east and Rrogozhinë to the south . To the west ...
;
Krujë Krujë ( sq-definite, Kruja; see also the etymology section) is a town and a municipality in north-central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is 20 km north of the capital of Albania, Tirana. Krujë was ...
and Laçi; Mati, Dibra and Mirdita; Lezhë, Shkodër, Krajë,
Ulqin Ulcinj () is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 11,488. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast, it was founded in 5th ...
; etc. Malësia e Madhe, Rugova, and villages scattered alongside the Adriatic Coast form the northmost sub-dialect of Albania today. There are many other sub-dialects in the region of Kosovo and in parts of southern Montenegro, and in
North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
. The sub-dialects of Malësia e Madhe and Dukagjini near Shkodra are being lost because the younger generations prefer to speak the sub-dialect of Shkodra. The other dialect is Tosk which is spoken in south Albania. When Albanian language was standardized in 1972,it was more based on Tosk than Gheg . The difference between these two dialects is mostly linguistic, but we have cultural factors too. Albanian can be divided into two main dialects, Gheg and Tosk. The Shkumbin river is roughly the dividing line, with Gheg spoken north of the Shkumbin and Tosk south of it. The Gheg literary language has been documented since 1462. Until the Communists took power in Albania, the standard was based on Gheg. Although the literary versions of Tosk and Gheg are mutually intelligible, many of the regional dialects are not. Nevertheless, Albanian language literature from Kosovo is mostly written in the Gheg dialect.


Prose and poetry

Poetry related to topics, such as
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
and the need for national freedom, was started by
Esad Mekuli Esad Mekuli ( sr-cyrl, Есад Мекули; 17 December 1916 – 6 August 1993) was an Albanian poet, critic and translator. He was the first president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo. Robert Elsie considered him the father ...
with the summary "Per Ty" which is considered an inspiration for many other authors. Another type of poetry is the one of Din Mehmeti and Ali Podrimja which is a form of exclamation. In addition to that, "Kurora Sonetike" which is structured by Enver Gjereqeku, also plays a huge role in Kosovo's Literature. During the 70s and 80s the most dominant kind of poetry was the one with unique poetic systems ruled by Sabri Hamiti and Musa Ramadani. Sabri Hamiti forms a system of poetic opus while Musa Ramadani forms a type of poetic book system. "Neurosis" which is a summary of poetry by Musa Ramadani deals with avant-garde visual subjects. However, another important event in Kosovo's Literature is Ali Podrimja's "Lum Lumi" which covers the whole 8th decade of the 20th century. Kosovar literature has divided prose in two lines: traditional and modern lines. Traditional is expressed in romantic spirit and the modern spirit with literary currents of European modernism. Prose takes place also in two paths: Modernist intellectual direction and social topic. Modern prose with authentic symbolic signs was founded by Anton Pashku. The modern spirit with
postmodern Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting the wo ...
elements was created by
Rexhep Qosja Rexhep Qosja (born 25 June 1936) is an Albanian writer, literary critic and Professor at University of Prishtina. He is a prolific literary critic and literary historian of Albanian literature. As a writer he is mostly known for his 1974 novel 'D ...
and especially Musa Ramadani. Meanwhile, Hivzi Sylejmani, Nazmi Rrahmani and Zejnullah Rrahmani have worked on social topic; it is worth mentioning the "Hermetic code" prose by Zejnullah Rrahmani, Musa Ramadani, Beqir Musliu and Eqrem Basha. In this flow, Adem Demaci creates national prosaic code with "Gjaperinjt e gjakut (1958)" roman. Double coding prose was written by Rexhep Qosja "Nje dashuri dhe shtate faje", "Bijte e askujt", continuing with Musa Ramadani "Antiprocesioni", "Vrapuesja e Prizerenit" and Eqrem Basha "Lakorja e x-it", "Marshi i kermilllit".


Literary criticism

Carriers of literary criticism in Kosovo were three leaders,
Rexhep Qosja Rexhep Qosja (born 25 June 1936) is an Albanian writer, literary critic and Professor at University of Prishtina. He is a prolific literary critic and literary historian of Albanian literature. As a writer he is mostly known for his 1974 novel 'D ...
,
Ibrahim Rugova Ibrahim Rugova (; 2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was a Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo-Albanian politician, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President ...
and Sabri Hamiti. Rexhep Qosja passes systematically literary works according to the integral method, while Ibrahim Rugova and Sabri Hamiti pass the contemporary criticism with more sophisticated methods inspired by French schools. These last two become icons of literature, criticism and literary thought for the Albanian Literacy in general.


Albanian verbal creations

Verbal creations, which are often called as traditional creations, like songs, riddles, tales or other are called such because they are confessed orally and are transferred to us from mouth to mouth. These creations are divided into lyrical creations and epic creations, while the traditional poetry can be found as epic-lyrical. Usually,
oral poetry Oral poetry is a form of poetry that is composed and transmitted without the aid of writing. The complex relationships between written and spoken literature in some societies can make this definition hard to maintain. Background Oral poetry is ...
is accompanied by instruments. Verbal creations were born earlier than writing creations. In fact, each traditional creation is a product of the human mind, but it adapts the environment with time. Verbal creations are created by extending and increasing wider, and while they are changed or adapted, they lose their authorship and become traditional creations.


Authors


Pjetër Bogdani Pjetër Bogdani (; 1627 – 6 December 1689) was the most original writer of Old Albanian literature. He was author of the Cuneus Prophetarum (''The Band of the Prophets''), 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in (Gheg) A ...

Pjetër Bogdani (c. 1630 – December 1689), known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is the most original writer of early literature in Albanian. He was born in
Prizren Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...
. Pjetër Bogdani is considered the first Kosovar-Albanian writer. He is author of the Cuneus Prophetarum (The Band of the Prophets), 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in Albanian Gegnisht (i.e. not a translation).


Shtjefën Gjeçovi

Shtjefën Konstantin Gjeçovi-Kryeziu (1874 – 1929) was an Albanian Catholic priest, ethnologist and folklorist. He is known for being the father of Albanians' folklore studies.


Esad Mekuli Esad Mekuli ( sr-cyrl, Есад Мекули; 17 December 1916 – 6 August 1993) was an Albanian poet, critic and translator. He was the first president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo. Robert Elsie considered him the father ...

Esad Mekuli (17 December 1916 – 6 August 1993) was an Albanian poet, critic and translator. He was the first president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo. Robert Elsie considered him the father of modern Albanian poetry in Yugoslavia, and his influence in Kosovo remains immense.


Rexhep Qosja Rexhep Qosja (born 25 June 1936) is an Albanian writer, literary critic and Professor at University of Prishtina. He is a prolific literary critic and literary historian of Albanian literature. As a writer he is mostly known for his 1974 novel 'D ...

Rexhep Qosja (born 1936) is an Albanian writer, literary critic and Professor at University of Prishtina. He has been considered the first postmodern Albanian novelist and one of the greatest Balkans literary critics. He is the first Doctor of Philological Sciences in Kosovo. Qosja is the author of various anthologies and scholarly monographs, including a three-volume history of Albanian literature in the Romantic period. He is also the author of the novel Vdekja më vjen prej syve të tillë (Death Comes to Me from Such Eyes, Pristina, 1974), translated into French, Italian, Greek, German, Dutch, Slovenian, Bulgarian and Serbian.


Ibrahim Rugova Ibrahim Rugova (; 2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was a Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo-Albanian politician, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President ...

Ibrahim Rugova (2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was a Kosovo-Albanian politician, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President of Kosovo from 2002 until his death in 2006. He studied literature at the University of Prishtina and the University of Paris, and received a doctorate with a dissertation on Albanian literary criticism. He spent two years (1976–1977) at the École Pratique des Hautes Études of the University of Paris, where he studied under Roland Barthes.


Ali Podrimja

Ali Podrimja plays a huge role in Kosovar and even Albanian literature. He was born in 1942 in
Gjakova Gjakova or Đakovica, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the sixth largest city of Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the District of Gjakova, Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakov ...
. He published prose and poetry from 1961, and has published ten volumes of his poetry to date. While at school he had already published his first collection of poems, "Thirrje" (1961, tr: The Calls). In his following books, he revealed himself to be a mature
symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...
ist, who could avail himself of a diversity of rhymes and metres. A turning point in his work came with the poetry collection "Lum Lumi" (1982). It is an homage to his young son Lumi, who died of cancer. He examines themes of loneliness, fear, death and fate. Podrimja's tone, however, remains
laconic A laconic phrase or laconism is a concise or terse statement, especially a blunt and elliptical rejoinder. It is named after Laconia, the region of Greece including the city of Sparta, whose ancient inhabitants had a reputation for verbal auste ...
. His poems exhibit a dense structure, and he plays with powerful images and avoids any artistic
prolixity Verbosity, or verboseness, is speech or writing that uses more words than necessary. The opposite of verbosity is succinctness. Some teachers, including the author of ''The Elements of Style'', warn against verbosity. Similarly Mark Twain and ...
. As a master of terse symbols and allegories, he also weaves elements of orally transmitted Albanian folk poetry, unusual metaphors and modern language use into his poetry, and surprises the reader with unexpected syntactic structures and subtle rhymes. Podrimja's collection "Ich sattle das Ross den Tod" (1991) I Saddle Death the Steed) was the very first German-language publication by a contemporary Albanian poet. In it, he condenses his experience of daily menace, injustice and Europe's apathy. Podrimja's books were translated also in other languages as: English, French, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Greek, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, and also were present in many
anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...
in foreign languages.


Sabri Hamiti

Having huge impact in the Kosovar Literature, poet and critic Sabri Hamiti born in
Podujevë Podujevë or Besianë ( sq-definite, Podujeva or ''Besiana'') or Podujevo is a List of cities in Kosovo, city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality in the District of Pristina, Pristina District in Kosovo. Podujevë is the largest municip ...
in 1950, studied comparative literature both in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, where the demigods of French structuralism brought their influence to bear on him. He finished his doctorate at the University of
Prishtina Pristina or Prishtina ( , ), . is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district. In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the Dardanian Kingdom. The heritage of th ...
. Hamiti is the author of numerous volumes of prose, poetry and drama, as well as innovative criticism. Among his most recent verse collections are: ''Thikë harrimi'', Prishtina 1975 (Knife of oblivion); ''Trungu ilir'', Prishtina 1979 (The Illyrian stock); ''Leja e njohtimit'', Prishtina 1985 (Identity papers); ''Kaosmos'', Prishtina 1990 (Chaosmos), and ''ABC'', Prishtina 1994. He was an editor at the publishing house "Rilindja" until 1991, as well as a professor of literature in the
University of Pristina The University of Pristina () is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–1999) as a result of the Kosovo War. The inauguration ...
from 1993 until his retirement in 2020.


Eqrem Basha

Eqrem Basha, born 1948 in Dibra, PR Macedonia, is among the most respected contemporary writers of Kosovo in recent years. His life and literary production are intimately linked to Kosovo and its capital Pristina, where he has lived and worked since the 1970s. Basha is the author of eight volumes of innovative verse spanning the years from 1971 to 1995, three volumes of short stories and numerous translations (in particular French literature and drama). Eqrem Basha is an enigmatic poet. Perplexing, fascinating, and difficult to classify in a literary sense, he succeeds in transmitting a certain mystique to the inquisitive reader. At one moment he seems coolly logical and shows an admirable ability to reason deductively, and the next moment he is overcome by absurd flights of fancy into a surrealistic world where apparently nothing makes any sense. His verse is light, colloquial and much less declamatory than that of many of his predecessors.


Anton Pashku

Anton Pashku was born on January 8, 1937, in Graždanik (village near Prizren). He finished high school education in Pristina. He worked as a redactor in the "
Rilindja The Albanian National Awakening ( or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political, and social movement in the Albanian history where the Albanian ...
" journal. He began publishing his literary writings since 1955 and wrote prose and drama. In his stories he distinguished three basic thematic districts; the district of love, loneliness, and the district of
violence Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...
on the individual. Even though he did not have many writings, the ones that he wrote venerate out literature in general. His best novels are: "Tregime"(1961, "Një pjesë e lindjes"(1965), "Kulla"(1968), "Sinkopa" (1969), "Oh"(1971)," Kjasina"(1973), "Gof" (1976) and "Lutjet e mbrëmjes" (1978). With the undisputed artistic values, the novel "Oh" had a slow but strong influence on the Albanian prose. Anton Pashku brings a spirit entirely in the tradition of modern Albanian prose. He was elected member of the Science and Art Academy in Kosovo. He died in Pristina.


Rifat Kukaj Rifat Kukaj (25 October 1938 – 11 September 2005) was a Kosovar Albanian writer in Albanian literature for adults and children. Life Kukaj was born in the village of Trstenik, in Glogovac, Kosovo, then part of Yugoslavia. He was educated in D ...

Rifat Kukaj (25 October 1938 – 11 September 2005) was a Kosovar Albanian and a successful writer in Albanian literature for grown ups and children. He was born in the Drenica region of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in present-day Kosovo. He was educated in
Drenica Drenica (, ), also known as the Drenica Valley, is a hilly region in central Kosovo, covering roughly around of Kosovo's total area (6%). It consists of two municipalities, Drenas and Skenderaj, and several villages in Klina, Zubin Potok, Mitr ...
and Pristina. Rifat Kukaj has published over forty books. His best novels are ''Bardhi e Mirushja'', ''Rrasa e zogut'', ''Shkrepi i diellit'', ''Lepuri me pesë këmbë'', ''Vjollca magjike'', ''Zogu i bardhë'', ''Kokërrmeli e pilivesa'', ''Gjeli në kuvertë'', ''Xhuxhi nga xhuxhishta''. Rifat Kukaj is best known for his poems for children. He has published the following volumes of poems for children: ''Gjerdani i blertë'', ''Lejlekët në luhaja'', ''Vallja e kallinjve'', ''Deti u bëftë kos'', ''Çka fshin dhelpra me bisht'', ''Pshurrani i gjyshit'', ''Shtegu i laureshave'', ''Trimëritë e karkalecit'', ''Zogu i Lasgushit''. He has also published many volumes of stories, among others: ''Harmonika'', ''Përqafimet e njoma'', ''Rrëfenjëza'', ''Ujku me kamerë'', ''Djaloshi i zjarreve'', ''Elefanti që fluturonte''. He was very well known for his unique humor and was widely perceived as the pioneer of urban humor culture in Priština. Rifak Kukaj has also translated a number of books from Slovenian, Serbian, and Croatian to Albanian.


Din Mehmeti Din Mehmeti (1932 – 12 November 2010) was an Albanian poet from Kosovo. He was among the best-known classical representatives of contemporary verse in Kosovo. Career Mehmeti was born in 1932 in Gjocaj, Junik, near Gjakova, Kosovo, and attended ...

Din Mehmeti (1932 – 12 November 2010) was an Albanian poet from Kosovo. He was among the best-known classical representatives of contemporary verse in Kosovo.


Azem Shkreli Azem Shkreli (; 10 February 1938 – 27 May 1997) was an Albanian writer, poet, director and producer. He was head of the Kosovo Writers' Association, president of the Association of Writers of Yugoslavia, manager of the National Theatre of Kosovo ...

Azem Shkreli (1938–1997) has been described as a poet of profound ideas and critical judgments. He was born in the Rugova mountains near
Peja Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...
and became head of Kosova Film Studios in
Prishtina Pristina or Prishtina ( , ), . is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district. In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the Dardanian Kingdom. The heritage of th ...
. Shkreli is an intellectual poet who, though highly expressive, is by no means verbose. His urban perception of things has given new significance to his experience of rural customs among the rugged tribes of the Rugova highlands with their traditional wisdom and way of life. His early volumes of verse offered masterful portraits of these legendary mountain inhabitants. The idyllic though specifically organized landscape which Azem Shkreli paints does not blind him to problems of ethics. Much of his verse, a moral catharsis in words, is devoted to the oppressed peoples of the
Third World The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Southern Cone, NATO, Western European countries and oth ...
, expressing a poetic solidarity with them against exploitation and suffering. Shkreli is also the author of the short story collection Sytë e Evës, Prishtina 1965 (Eve's eyes), and the novel Karvani i bardhë, Priština 1960 (The white caravan). For many years he has been chairman of the Kosovo Writers Association and Founding Director of Kosova Film. Shkreli climbed to the top of today's
Albanian poetry Albanian literature stretches back to the Middle Ages and comprises those literary texts and works written in Albanian. It may also refer to literature written by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora particularly in Italy. Alba ...
, and he consolidated and reinforced this place from one poetic work to the other, until his last work called "Zogj dhe Gure", published in 1997, which in that year he died.


Basri Çapriqi Basri Çapriqi (1960–2018) was an Albanian language, Albanian poet and literary critic. He was born in Krute (Krytha) in Ulcinj Municipality (Ulqin), present-day Montenegro and studied Albanian language and literature at the University of Prist ...

Basri Çapriqi (1960–2018) was an Albanian poet and literary critic. He was born in Krute (Krytha) in Ulcinj Municipality (Ulqin), present-day Montenegro and studied Albanian language and literature at the University of Pristina, where later he was a professor. He has been considered one of the best Albanian poets.


Sali Bashota

Sali Bashota was born on 31 August 1959 in Çaravik in the municipality of Klina in Kosova. He studied Albanian language and literature at the University of Prishtina where he later taught literature. He is well-known poet.


Edi Shukriu

Edi Shukriu (22 October 1950 – January 2023) was a Kosovan political figure, archaeologist, and writer.


Flora Brovina Flora Brovina (born 30 September 1949) is a Kosovar Albanian poet, pediatrician and women's rights activist. She was born in the town of Skenderaj in the Drenica Valley of Kosovo, and was raised in Pristina, where she went to school and began stud ...

Flora Brovina (born 30 September 1949) is a Kosovar Albanian poet, pediatrician and women's rights activist. She was born in the town of Skenderaj in the Drenica Valley of Kosovo, and was raised in Pristina, where she went to school and began studying medicine. After finishing her university studies in Zagreb, where she specialized in pediatrics, she returned to Kosovo and worked for a time as a journalist for the Albanian-language daily newspaper Rilindja. Soon thereafter, she returned to the health care profession and worked for many years in the Pediatrics Ward of the Pristina General Hospital.


Muhamet Hamiti Muhamet Hamiti (born 1964) is a Kosovar politician, formerly an advisor to the former President of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova. He was the first ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the United Kingdom, from 2008 to 2012. Career Hamiti was born in t ...

Muhamet Hamiti was born in the Podujevo municipality of Kosovo in 1964. He earned his BA in English language and literature at the University of Pristina in 1987; earned his MA in English literature at the Zagreb University (in Croatia) in 1990, and his PhD in English literature at the University of Pristina in 2006 with a thesis on the prose fiction of James Joyce and Joseph Conrad. In the 1990s, Hamiti was an independent scholar at the University of East Anglia and at Birkbeck College, University of London, respectively, pursuing research in and studies of literature. He taught English literature at the University of Pristina from 1989 until 2008. He is author of a monograph book on English literature, a range of literary essays, as well as literary translations from and into English.


Ag Apolloni Ag Apolloni (; born 13 June 1982) is an Albanian writer, poet, playwright, scholar, and essay writer. He is a professor at the University of Prishtina, Kosovo. His literary works are widely acclaimed for their dramatic dimension, philosophical ...

Ag Apolloni (born 13 June 1982) is an Albanian writer, poet, playwright, scholar, and essay writer. He is a professor at the University of Prishtina, Kosovo. His literary works are widely acclaimed for their dramatic dimension, philosophical treatment, and critical attitude towards history, politics, and society.


References


Further reading

*"The Bright Old Oak." The Bright Old Oak. The Bright Old Oak, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. *Schuyt, Roel. "MACEDONIA." Eqrem Basha. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. *Fajtori. "ANG - Ismail Kadare." ANG - Ismail Kadare. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. (in Albanian) *Elsie, Robert. Studies in Modern Kosovar-Albanian Literature and Culture. Boulder: East European Monographs, 1996. Print. *"Letersia Shqiptare: Letersia Moderne." Letersia Shqiptare: Letersi Moderne. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. (in Albanian) *"Rapitful Shqip." Nazmi Rrahmani. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. *"The Atlantic International Library of Kosovo." The Atlantic International Library of Kosovo. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. *Podrimja, Ali. "Ali PODRIMJA - Poetry." Ali PODRIMJA - Poetry. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. *"Ali Podrimja." - Biography and Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. {{Literature of Europe European literature Albanian literature