“The Albanian society has been producing vulgarity for a long time, often and with a high frequency. It sometimes seems this vulgarity keeps growing and never ends. But here are Pre稳 poems to give us hope and get surprised with our Albania which after all unveils its golden side,” said Jerina Zaloshnja, the director of the Tirana Times R&Z publishing house during the book promotion ceremony
TIRANA, July 10 – “I believe this is my best book, it is part of the only book the poet writes during his lifetime,” said poet Pre硚ogaj at the launch ceremony of his latest poetry book called “Fundi, nje femijeri tjeter” (The end, another childhood).
Poet, prose writer and politician Pre硚ogaj described it as his poetic diary at a time when he was actively engaged in the country’s political life.
“I have never compromised poetry with other human activities necessary for the society, sometimes even for us, because I believe there is no poet in Albania who can make a living only from books or poetry. Engaging in many activities, I have fanatically tried to keep poetry negatively unaffected from other things we have to do in life,” said Zogaj, addressing a crowded hall of writers, politicians, journalists and students at the book promotion ceremony held at the Ministry of Culture this week.
Culture Minister Visar Zhiti, also a poet who faced persecution during communism, said Zogaj’s latest book gave Albanian readers and poetry “a poem where feelings rush, an effort to be human and testimony that poetry lives and is needed.”
Painter and poet Parid Teferici, who also designed Zogaj’s poetry book cover, said “Prec Zogaj remains a metaphysical poet. “Human sensibility, love for parents, his partner and the feeling of death make him a special poet,” he said.
Jerina Zaloshnja, the director of the Tirana Times R&Z publishing house described Zogaj’s book a special event for the vulgar reality Albania is facing, saying that his poems compete with the best of contemporary poetry, and are noted for their elegant love verses.
“The Albanian society has been producing vulgarity for a long time, often and with a high frequency. It sometimes seems this vulgarity keeps growing and never ends. But here are Pre稳 poems to give us hope and get surprised with our Albania which after all unveils its golden side.
Love is just universal and exactly because it belongs to every one of us we should enjoy it, we should enjoy Zogaj’s elegant and painful verses experiencing our stories,” said Zaloshnja.
“Fundi, nj롦쮩j쳩 tjet첢 is a collection of poems Zogaj has written during the past two to three years in his second cooperation with the Tirana Times publishing house.
The new book comes after Zogaj successfully represented Albania in the 2012 Balkanika literary award with his “Occurrence on Earth” (Ngjarje ne Toke) volume of poetry, receiving critical acclaim as the only poet among other prose writers. Zogaj was selected to represent Albania in the Balkanika Award held in Sofia last November by a jury composed of some of Albania’s best academics and literary critics.
“Occurrence on Earth”נa publication of Tirana Timesנis a summary of selected poems stretched throughout 25 years and in 9 poetic volumes.
Poet, prose writer and political figure Pre硚ogaj 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.
