For the first time, original manuscripts of some of Dritëro Agolli’s most renowned works were exhibited in this space, including the novels “The Rose in the Glass”, “The Failure”, and “The Devil’s Chest”, as well as the manuscript for “Poem for Father and Myself”. The visitors also had the opportunity to view poetry notebooks, manuscripts of short stories and translations, and first editions of the writer’s works.

Anisa Ymeri, Director of the Agolli House-Studio, told ATA that the return of the manuscripts to the house where they were created holds great significance and value for the museum.

“In this way, the visitors and readers can engage more deeply with the work while also witnessing the creative process,” said Ymeri, drawing attention to a particular highlight of the exhibition: a copy of the banned 1968 play “The Second Face”, which had been slated for production at the National Theatre by director Piro Mani.

Alongside the manuscripts, the exhibition featured a personal collection of fountain pens, ballpoint pens and ink bottles that Dritëro Agolli had amassed over his lifetime.

In collaboration with the National Library of Albania, the first editions of the author’s works were also displayed, offering the public significant insight into his literary output.

The event was organized thanks to the cooperation of the writer’s daughter, Elona, ​​and the Dritëro Agolli Cultural Foundation, both of whom contribute to preserving and promoting his legacy. The evening was accompanied by guitar music, shared memories and conversations among friends and readers of Dritëro’s work, transforming his home into a gathering place for all those who continue to cherish and appreciate the writer—a testament to the enduring vitality of his work.

The exhibition will remain open until December 31. /j.p/p.s./

Foreign tourists are flooding in this summer. Many want to see where famous Albanian writer Ismail Kadare lived and worked. French visitors lead the group. They often know his books well. Visiting his home brings his stories to life. They also want to understand more than just his books. They are curious about his life under the communist regime and how a free mind survives in an isolated land.

For literature lovers, the Ismail Kadare house museum and Dritëro Agolli’s home in Tirana offer a profound, intimate glimpse into the authors’ creative worlds. Preserved original artifacts and authentic room layouts make these spaces deeply engaging. Rising tourist interest has secured their place on city itineraries, with multilingual audio guides launching soon to enhance the visitor experience.

/r.e/a.f/p.s./

Under the title “Albanian Voices in European Literature”, the event organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Albania, in cooperation with the Department of Balkan Studies, brought together diplomats, academics, students and cultural personalities. Attending was also Director of the French Institute in Sofia Luc Levy and Anisa Ymeri, director of the Kadare House Museum in Tirana.

Ambassador of Albania to Bulgaria Inid Milo highlighted in her remarks that Kadare engages the intellect, whereas Agolli stirs the soul while adding that language remains the tool where identity, history and imagination intertwine.

Student-led readings and music bridged Albanian and Bulgarian culture, showing literature as a unifying, traveling force.

BTA provided international coverage of the event, strengthening the promotion of Albanian cultural heritage. /gj.m/j.p/p.s./

Those present remembered the great Agolli among the love letters, personal objects and his voice that is everywhere in the house where he lived with his large family.

It was Dritëro’s daughter, Elona Agolli, who contributed the manuscripts and other objects for this exhibition.

Director of the Kadare-Agolli house-museums Anisa Ymeri told ATA that the exhibition will remain open for a month and later its manuscripts, personal objects, etc. will remain in the house-museum’s collection.

In Dritëroi’s house were exhibited: the couple’s clothing from their youth, when they wrote love letters, their watches, a pearl necklace of Sadija, two portraits by Lumturi Blloshmi, a bust of Dritëroi by Ilmi Kasemi, household objects and his fountain pen, with which he had written the letters.

“Our mission in this house is to mark important stations of the writer’s life,” said Anisa Ymeri, emphasizing that it is a special worth-visiting exhibition. /a.f/p.s./

Anna Lattanzi, in an article for “Albania Letteraria”, evaluated the novel as, “One of the most accomplished satirical works of Albanian literature” and emphasized that “although it speaks of yesterday’s Albania, its irony and messages are still relevant today”.

Meanwhile, Giorgio Bona, in an article for “Carmilla”, calls the novel a “monument of wise irony” and mentions how the then communist prime minister Mehmet Shehu, at the time it was first published, had publicly criticized it, but privately had asked to read the other succeeding publications.

“The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo”, Dritëro Agolli’s masterpiece, brings to Italian readers a vivid portrait of the Albanian communist bureaucracy, with all the absurdity and satire that characterizes it, making it a novel that continues to fascinate. The new Italian edition not only brings the novel in a complete version, but also brings back to attention a great Albanian author like Dritëro Agolli. /r.e/a.f/p.s./

The translators staying for 52 days in the “Fan Noli” residence of the Publication Center for Diaspora are: Rigels Halili from Poland, Eleana Zhako from Belgium, Griselda Doka from Italy, Loreta Shillcok from Germany and Evelyne Noygues from France.

During this period, the translators in the residence in cooperation with the literary editors will complete the translation project into 5 languages ​​of the collection of poetry by the well-known writer Dritëro Agolli.

The project is a winner of the “Culture Moves Europe” program, financed by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.

Regarding the challenges of translating Agolli’s poetry, there was mentioned the difficulty in maintaining the balance between the simplicity of the language and the complexity of the content, conveying the specific Albanian context for a foreign reader, preserving the nuances of humor and irony, or of rhythm and rhyme, as well as cultural references, elements of folklore or symbols embedded in the Albanian tradition.

Present at this meeting were the translators: Manjola Nasi, Evelyne Noygues, Loreta Shillock, Griselda Doka and the editors: Rudina Xhillari, Mirela Papa, Marsela Likaj and Lorena Dedja. /p.s./

Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj said that, “The museum-house is located inside a building where other residents still live. When one comes to visit the museum, one can also see the residents in the elevator or on the stairs. Perhaps, this is the museum of the future, a museum that lives in the community ecosystem.”

The mayor took the opportunity to list some of the reconstructions that have been done in Tirana, such as the “House with Leaves”, the “Max Velo” cinema or the “Kadare House”, which have already become important points for local and foreign visitors.

“I am also glad that the first building of the old Radio Tirana has started to get transformed”, continued Veliaj.

He said that “Agolli House” will be the next pearl for our Tirana. “This is the next pearl in a necklace of beautiful beads of  present-day Tirana”, said Veliaj. /p.s./

Director Koçi was also present at the event and talked with the people attending.

The feature-length film ‘The rise and fall of Comrade Zylo’ is the adaptation of the Albanian novel of the same title, by the great writer Dritëro Agolli. The film focuses on the exploits of Comrade Zylo, a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Culture in the 70s. To impress his superiors and party members, Comrade Zylo manipulates Demka, an aspiring author, into writing phenomenal speeches and reports on his behalf based on Zylo’s wild and impossible theories on what Culture is of the Proletariat.

Young actors such as Aleks Seitaj, Donald Shehu and Amos Zaharia perform in the film, but we also find well-known actors such as Petrit Malaj, Kastriot Çaushi and Sokol Angjeli.

Fatmir Koçi has in his artistic passport a series of long and short films, among which we highlight “Tirana Year Zero”, for which he was awarded the “Alexander the Great” award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, as well as films like “Time of the Comet”, “Obituary” etc./p.s./