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./

Albanian prominent cultural representatives, friends, relatives and admirers of the renowned author visited the exhibition entitled “Kadare – Unknown Manuscripts and Correspondence.”

The exhibition showcases handwritten notes, texts and original printged copies of Kadare’s main literary works, as well as important documents of Albanian history and culture.

The exhibition also features a letter sent to Kadare by Nobel-winning German novelist Günter Grass back in 1987 on behalf of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, (Academy of Arts), founded in 1696.

Through his letter, Grass invited Kadare to attend the European Artists meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The exhibition also reveals other curiosities about life of the colossus of the Albanian literature. The exhibition will remain open in January and February.

Ismail Kadare was born in Gjirokaster on January 28, 1936. He left Albania in 1990 just before the almost five-decade long communist regime was collapsing to seek political asylum in France, a country that became his second home in the post-1990s period.

Kadare, who passed away in July 2024, was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and playwright.

Kadare was the recipient of a number of international prizes for his works, which totaled more than 80 novels, plays, screenplays, poetry, essays and story collections translated into 45 languages.

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Director of the National Center for Books and Reading Alda Bardhyli said that, “It is very important to promote a new policy, to treat manuscripts as an important part of the cultural background; not only in the way a literary text is formed, but also for the historical value they carry”.

“The 21st century could mark the end of an era of paper manuscripts, as technology now tracks electronic forms of text creation, while most of the authors write directly on the computer,” she said.

Albanian authors who have made the history of Albanian literature have long deserved this attention by considering this fund a very important part of Albanian literature.

It has been a long time since the manuscripts of Albanian writers have been collected as they are in the families of the authors and in this way this treasure is not evaluated properly.

The establishment of this institution would finally create the national treasury of Albanian letters. Bardhyli together with Jean-Luc Puyau, attaché for the spread of the French language in Albania, are soon expected to materialize this ambitious project. /j.p/p.s./