Ismail Kadare's message at the Book Fair/ It is unfair that Albania is denied its past

2023-05-18 21:26:00, Kulturë CNA

Ismail Kadare's message at the Book Fair/ It is unfair that Albania is

The 35th edition of the Turin Book Fair, which will be held until May 22, 2023, opened today.

The Albanian salon is inspired by one of the works of our great writer Ismail Kadare, "Chronicles in stone".

The Italian journalist, Alessandro Mezzena, spoke about the universality of Kadare's literature, comparing it to Kafka.

According to Mezzena, Kadare is one of the most important writers of the time who with his work shows us a fantastic Albania.

Ismail Kadare's message at the Book Fair/ It is unfair that Albania is

In this Book Fair, the great Albanian writer also gave a message, who said that every good thing that comes to Albania today is due to relations and rapprochement with Europe.

Kadare said that it gives him special joy when he hears good words about Albania, as he emphasized that it seems unfair for a people to be denied its past.

“Unë e çmoj shumë këtë ngjarje që ka ndodhur. Më jep një gëzim të madh. Nuk është thjesht një gëzim që dëgjoj, sepse dëgjoj fjalë të mira për Shqipërinë. Është një lajm i gëzuar për vendin, por gëzimi shpërndahet në të gjithë qenien time. Mendoj se kjo shpërndahet te gjithsecili prej nesh dhe kjo është ajo për çfarë popujt jetojnë për interesat e larta të tyre. Duan që të jenë të dobishëm për veten, kur një popull është i dobishëm për veten është dhe për të tjerët. Shqipëria është një shtet i vjetër evropian, i shekullit të XV dhe këtë s’para e themi. Nuk e thonë as të tjerët dhe kjo mua më krijon një acarim herë pas herë sepse më duket e padrejtë që t’i mohohet një populli e kaluara e tij.

Ismail Kadare's message at the Book Fair/ It is unfair that Albania is

This is not a past to sell your mind, to brag in vain, to moralize others, but it is a past that is connected to the future. Every good thing that comes to Albania today is the rapprochement with Europe, the EU with the old former states of the 15th century, where Albania was one of them. And this is said first. In the 15th century, Albania was a rare country where parallel Latin and Albanian literature was published. We have forgotten this, but we must return it slowly and we must be proud of it. We must hope for this. So this exhilarating feeling caused me today. It was very beautiful and I am very grateful", declared Kadare./ CNA.al