Book fair closes, Artan Fuga announced year’s best author

TIRANA, Nov. 19 – Four prizes for the best author, best translators were awarded in the 15th edition of the Tirana Book fair which brought together some 100 publishers from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. The biggest ‘Author of the Year’ Award went to Artan Fuga for his Renia e Qytetit (The Collapse of the City) book, a publication mixing the eye of an observer living in an Albanian town with analysis of facts by a social philosopher like Fuga, at the same time introducing contemporary ideas about life in a city. Fuga was appreciated for the way of writing about the city as a concept, a way of living and metamorphosis. Dr. Artan Fuga is a Professor of Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana in Albania, where he is also Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication. He has published numerous books about Albania’s political and media environment. His principle publications from the last decade include: (in Albanian) The Periphery Society in Albania; The Philosophy of Political Regimes; and Politics, Society and Media in Albania; (in French) The Words of Political Communication in Albania; The Periphery Identities of Albania; and The Totalitarian Reason and Fragmentation of Rationality: The Albanian Case.
The best translator prize was awarded to Rudi Erebara for bringing into Albanian poems by Archibald Randolph Ammons. The jury’s special prize went to translator Aleko Mingo for his translation of The Music of the Primes by UK’s Marcus Peter Francis du Sautoy. The French embassy in Albania also awarded a special prize to Orges Azizaj for his translation of the History of Sexuality. No prize was awarded for the best children’s book author after the jury failed to find an appropriate candidate fulfilling the criteria.
Organizers said some 100,000 people visited the Tirana book fair held from November 14 to 18 at the Palace of Congresses in Tirana. Some 600,000 books were sold during the five-day event. Speaking after the conclusion of the book fair, Petrit Ymeri, the head of the Albanian Publishers Association appealed for the opening of more bookshops for the future of younger generations which should be more educated. He also hailed the Tirana Mayor initiative to lift local government taxes for new bookshops.
This year’s book fair also corresponded to the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Albanian Publishers Association. Albanian and foreign authors are expected to promote books and hold seminars during the five-day event.