First US literary award for an Albanian author

The author Muj롂u象paj is the first Albanian to receive an American literary award reports the local press. They explained that his book, “The Invisible Victory”, was awarded in the United States (USA) first prize for the “Best book translated into English” for 2008.
Telegraf, Sot, RD and Gazeta Shqiptare (24.10.2009) believe this to be the first time an Albanian author received a literary award in the USA. The press informs that the ceremony was held on the 18th of July 2009, at the public library of Destin, a coastal city in the state of Florida. In the name of American public libraries, the public library of Destin handed out a number of literary prizes among which was the one for the best translation, which went to the Albanian author.
The book is translated by Uk롂u象paj, Professor of English studies and literature, and was published by Marinaj Publishing, Texas, USA in 2007.
Both Muj롡nd Uk롂u象paj are renowned Albanian authors. Muj롂u象paj is the author of ō
Koha (24.10.2009), an Albanian-language daily which appears in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) stated the prize was awarded by “Translation Review”, a prestigious translation review periodical. Koha states that the review, which has been published by the University of Texas, Dallas, for 30 years now, as the largest periodic edition in the field of translations into English and reminds readers that lately a whole issue of the “Translation Review” was dedicated to Albanian literature.
At this latter occasion, Laura Bowers, a rising voice in contemporary American poetry, evaluated Bu象paj as a, ” Š(world-rank) poet who brings to the United States the broken heart of his country and the dramatic dimensions of the Balkans.”