Agim Doç authored over 3,000 song lyrics performed at various Albanian festivals and won more than 50 awards. He represented Albania twice at Eurovision with his lyrics.

Agim Doçi, born on May 9, 1948, was celebrated for his extraordinary contributions to literature. Although he graduated in engineering, his true passion lay in writing.

In recognition of his significant contributions, the late President Bujar Nishani honored him with the title “Grand Master.

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Mayor of Korça Sotiraq Filo thanked the participating poets for the emotions they gave on both nights of the event and called Korça, “the city that inspires poets”.

This event brought together writers, poets and art-lovers of literature from the country and the world. 33 authors from different countries of the world participated in this edition of the “Poetry Nights”.

Lovers of poetry experienced the magic of the verse of poetic selections in the evenings full of emotions, in the house-museum courtyard of the great Korça painter Vangjush Mio.

Following this activity, there will be published an anthology with the poems of all the participating authors in Albanian and English.

The theme of this year’s Korça poetry nights was “A new sun” by Asdreni, one of the greatest poets of the National Renaissance. /r.e/p.s./

The concert was realized in honor of the Great Poet and Master of the Polyphony of the Southern Albania Lefter Çipa, “Honor of the Nation”.

For the first time, Opera diva Eva Golemi came in duet with Albanian rock legend Aleksandër Gjoka, in an arrangement of the famous song “Move you, fair-haired woman” by the composer and artistic director of the National Ensemble Sokol Marsi.

The concert had the special participation of the artist Bujar Asqeriu “Honor of Nation”, soloists: Malvina Likaj, Aranit Hoxha, Denisa Gjezo, Mirela Aliaj, Raimond Kllogjeri, Avni Miraka; solo dancers: Gëzim Halili, Helga Saraçi, Marjana Shkreta, Rei Berisha, Frenki Ziaj. Participants in the concert were Irini Qirjako, Petrit Lulo, Artur Vera, Bashkim Alibali, Hatixe Lushi, the polyphonic groups of Himara, Bënça, Piluri and many other artists.

The poet Lefter Çipa (Pilur, 1942 – 2021) is the most productive author of polyphony during the last 40 years. He is the author of more than 1250 songs performed by the famous polyphonic groups, the State Ensemble of Songs and Dances as well as dozens of other artistic ensembles. Lefter Çipa is considered the unique author of songs of high artistic and musical value and has participated with his creations in the National Folk Festivals held in Gjirokastra, Berat and Lezha.

Lefter Çipa has been honored with awards and decorations, including the highest decoration, “Honour of Nation”./r.e/p.s./

During the event, there was presented the special edition of the well-known literary magazine “Lichtungen” of the Land of Styria, dedicated Poradeci. In the bilingual (German and Albanian) magazine, Lasgush Poradec’s poems can be read for the first time in German, alongside texts by contemporary Albanian and Austrian authors.

As part of this event, there was opened the exhibition titled “Lasgush Poradeci on the 125th anniversary of his birth”.

Attending the event, there were Deputy Director of the National Library Dr. Etleva Domi, the Ambassador of Austria in Tirana Christian Steiner, Director of the State Library of Graz Katharina Kocher-Lichem, the visual artist Lori Lako, the publisher of the magazine “Lichtungen” Andrea Stift-Laube, albanologist Robert Pichler, as well as translators, publishers, researchers and students./p.s./

Minister of Culture Elva Margariti expressed her condolences for the death of Petraq Kolevica.

“Today, we say farewell to one of our architecture teachers, the poet, translator, researcher, Petraq Kolevica. A versatile figure, who has left us important, tangible works, from which the coming generations will have a lot to learn, too! Rest in peace!”, she wrote on social media.

Kolevica completed his construction engineering studies in the period 1952-1957 at the Polytechnic University of Tirana.

He worked for many years as an engineer and architect. His love for his profession was equally close to the world of books, and perhaps this was the main motive for the design of the library building of the city of Korça.

Throughout his career as an architect, he tried to design modern and functional buildings. He was criticized many times for foreign influences and after an argument with Enver Hoxha at the “Albania Today” exhibition he was sent to work as a construction technician in Valias. From that time on, he almost stopped working as an architect.

In his early youth he was interested in poetry. In the 60s, he published the translation of the poem “Demon” by Lermontov, which was very well received by the readers of that time. In 1986, he published the book “German and Austrian Poetry” with translations from German.

At the time of the democratization of Albania, he contributed as an MP in the first pluralist Parliament of Albania and as a member of the Publishing Board of the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike”. In 1992, the first volume of poems “Songs from bad times” was published, poems previously written by him but unpublished until then. Finally, in 2013, he collected his original poems in the two volumes “Late Harvest”.

Also important in his creativity are the books about Lasgush Poradeci and Mitrush Kuteli, whom he knew personally and had a close friendship with.

“A master with many titles and awards, Petraq Kolevica left an architectural wealth in our city. Endless gratitude!”, wrote the Mayor of Korça Sotiraq Filo today in social media./p.s./

Minister of Culture Elva Margariti stressed on this occasion that, “There can be no division between the poets of Albania and the poets of Kosovo, they belong to all Albanians, so we have declared 2022 “The Year of Ali Podrimja”.

“This is a homage on the 80th anniversary of the birth of one of our prominent poets, which made us love Kosovo even more and feel its sensibility,” said Margariti.

Minister Margariti said that, “The National Library of Albania and the National Center for Books and Reading will organize a series of activities not just about this author, but about poetry, materializing the joint Albania-Kosovo calendar.”

This year will be a year dedicated to activities in memory of the figure and contribution of Ali Podrimja, as well as Albanian poetry, activities which will extend throughout 2022 in the framework of joint cultural projects of cooperation between Albania and Kosovo.

On July 21, 2012, Poet Ali Podrimja was found without signs of life in the city of Lodève, France, where he had traveled to participate in an international poetry festival. /k.s/p.s./

Head of the Academy of Sciences Skënder Gjinushi said that the conference is the first among a range of activities that the Academy of Sciences has planned to hold during the current year, the 175^th anniversary of birth of the emblematic figure of the National Renaissance Naim Frashëri.

Gjinushi also highlighted that Naim Frashëri was held in high esteem several great men like Eqrem Çabej and Father Gjergj Fishta describing him like the man at the centre of the national ideology, a national poet who made all Albania proud of him./j.p/r.e/p.s./