Reading the World: Albania
Non-fiction
"To the Lake" by Kapka Kassabova
By exploring on water and land the stories of poets, fishermen, and caretakers, misfits, rulers, and inheritors of war and exile, Kassabova uncovers the human destinies shaped by the lakes."Free" by Lea Ypi
Family and nation formed a reliable bedrock of security for precocious 11-year-old Lea Ypi. She was a Young Pioneer, helping to lead her country toward the future of perfect freedom promised by the leaders of her country, the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. Then, almost overnight, the Berlin Wall fell and the pillars of her society toppled. The local statue of Stalin, whom she had believed to be a kindly leader who loved children, was beheaded by student protestors."Indignity: A Life Reimagined" by Lea Ypi
The author of Free returns with an extraordinary inquiry into historical injustice, dignity, truth, and imagination.
Poetry
"Negative Space" by Luljeta Lleshanaku
Personal biography disperses into the history of an entire generation that grew up under the oppressive dictatorship of the poet's native Albania.
"Haywire" by Luljeta Lleshanaku
In Haywire she turns to the fallout of her country's past and its relation to herself and her family. Through intense, powerful lyrics, she explores how these histories intertwine and influence her childhood memories and the retelling of her family's stories.
Fiction
"A Girl in Exile" by Ismail Kadare
A Girl in Exile, first published in Albanian in 2009, is set among the bureaucratic machinery of Albania's 1945-1991 dictatorship. While waiting to hear whether his newest play will be approved for production, playwright Rudian Stefa is called in for questioning by the Party Committee. A girl - Linda B. - has been found dead, with a signed copy of his latest book in her possession."The Palace of Dreams" by Ismail Kadare
A dystopian novel often interpreted as a critique of totalitarian regimes."Misinterpretation" by Ledia Xhoga
In present-day New York City, an Albanian interpreter reluctantly agrees to work with Alfred, a Kosovar torture survivor, during his therapy sessions. Despite her husband’s cautions, she soon becomes entangled in her clients’ struggles.
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Mar 4
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