TIRANA, March 19 – When Albania celebrated the Francophone International Day it was good to remember two of its translator who have brought Francophone culture in the Albanians’ hands.
Vedat Kokona is remembered as a master of translation, novelist, poet and linguist. Kokona, who died at the age of 85, gave a strong voice to the French literature in our country. France honored him with the Chevalier of the Art and Leer Order medal in 1995 and the Officer of the Palm Order in 1996. Kokona has translated 2,000 lines from the French literature, 21 books of La Fontaine, Viktor Hugo and a series of other grand works of the world literature. He has translated many Albanian works in French in his Les Lettres Albanaises magazine.
One could not forget Jusuf Vrioni, the aristocrat of knowledge as he was called. Vrioni graduated in France and Italy for jurisprudence. He also suffered 13 years of prison during the communist regime accused of being a spy for France. He worked during that prison period in Maliq, at the construction of Rinasi airport and so on. After the prison he started to work as translator at Nov. 8 publishing house translating Enver Hoxha’s works until he retired in 1990. Vrioni was considered a philosopher and a thinker.
He is best known for the translation of the works from Ismail Kadare, who made the writer known in France. “He is a cultural loss and also a personal one because he was an irreplaceable translator. He was my friend, my collaborator in a big action that continued for 40 years,” said Kadare at his death ceremony. Vrioni also became Albania’ ambassador to UNESCO and continued to work non-stop.
Vrioni also deserved many medals like the Grand Medal of Francophone, a Chevalier Order of Art and Letters, Order of the Honored Legion and Honored Citizen of Arles. In June 1, 2001 hi body was brought to his homeland. Vrioni has an irreplaceable place in making the Albanian literature known in the world.
Aleksander Moisiu died 72 years ago
TIRANA, March 22 – Aleksander Moisiu passed away 72 years ago today, March 22, 1935. Moisiu was born in Kavaja in 1879. His family immigrated to Italy. He graduated high school in Graz and then cut short the university in Vienna to continue to work at a theater there. At 20 years old he took his family, mother and two sisters, to Austria. He started his career to become one of the greatest actors of the time. He played in Prague and Berlin to continue in then-Soviet Union and other countries. He was distinguished for his play of Hamlet and Faust and a long list of literature figures. He had not only a special style of interpretation but also a unique voice and a very interpretative mimic.
A year before he died Moisiu asked from the Albanian authorities of the time the Albanian passport, which he duly received.
