The poet is represented with his “Occurrence on Earth” (Ngjarje ne Toke) volume of poetry, whose Albanian version was promoted in early 2012 by the Tirana Times publishing house
TIRANA, Oct. 17 – Poet Pre硚ogaj has been selected to represent Albania in the 2012 Balkanika literary award with his “Occurrence on Earth” (Ngjarje ne Toke) volume of poetry, whose Albanian version was promoted in early 2012 by the Tirana Times publishing house.
Zogaj was selected to represent Albania in the Balkanika Award scheduled to be held in Sofie early next November by a jury composed of some of Albania’s best academics and literary critics. Ben Blushi, Arjan Leka and Diana Culi were some of his competitors.
Last year, Albania was represented in the Balkanika literary awards by Mira Miksi’s “E kuqja e Demava (The bulls’ red) novel set on Spanish background.
“Occurrence on Earth”נa publication of Tirana Timesנis a summary of selected poems stretched throughout 25 years and in 9 poetic volumes. They date as far back as 1985 and continue up until today. These are poems full of life, but also full of death; but mostly full of love. It is thus perhaps fitting that the publisher of the book noted that the inspiration of Zogaj is love, which he finds in his family, mother, daughters, wife, Earth and mother country.
“Do you want to know?”; “Is not turning back”; “She loved me truly”; “Heart”; “At 5 in the afternoon”; “In my parent’s house”; etc. are some of the poems included in this volumeطhich speaks to the poet’s growth.
Pre硚ogaj
Poet, prose writer and political figure Pre硚ogaj (b. 1957) was born in Manatia in the District of Lezha. He studied language and literature at the University of Tirana and worked thereafter as a journalist and publisher. Zogaj played a significant role in the democracy movement in Albania in 1990 and served as Minister of Culture in the “stability” government of June 1991. Since that time, he has been active both as a writer and in political life. Among his more recent publications are the poetry collections: Qielli i gjithkujt, Tirana 1991 (Everyone’s Sky); Kalimi, Tirana 1999 (The Passing); and Pas er쳠s롲e, Tirana 2004 (After a New Wind); and the prose works: Shetitorja, Tirana 1990 (The Promenade); and Pa histori, Tirana 1993 (Without History); and the study Paradhoma e nj롰residenti, Tirana 2001 (The President’s Antechamber). His works have been translated into French and Italian.
