Ismail Kadareja - the international writer of Albanians

When Albania had begun to touch the peak of isolation, its relationship and the Albanians' relationship with the culture of the world, began to breathe. This time not with any foreign researcher or albanologist who was curious about these parts. The thread of a new relationship was being born from within.

In the 60s, Albania broke off relations with the Eastern bloc. It had been offered with China and had gone to the level where it was officially declared an atheist state. It was seen as a black spot in Europe. 
But in that decade, a young pen in literature was proving talent like no other. Soon, Europe would see another Albania. The one where it is written at the level of the authors on behalf of the Old Continent. That of the "General of the dead army" and other stories where the history of the Albanians comes elegantly and stylishly. 

There, Albanian culture was passing a great threshold: Albanian literature was joining the great, universal ones. 

And, this was done by Ismail Kadareja... 

"It was a surprise even for French culture. Until then, we had little Albanian literature translated, for example, Migjeni was translated, which was valued for its social motives and other aspects. But they were not used to an explosive literature like then 'General of the Dead Army' and 'The Castle' was being prepared with another title, 'Drums of the Rain'. A new horizon appeared. It seemed something that needed to be discovered. Of course, penetration into France was the best possible key", said academician Rexhep Ismajli.

Academician Rexhep Ismajli remembers the year 1972, when he was a witness and intervener in Kadare's contacts with Alain Bosquet and other French intellectuals. He says that in the work of Kadare, the entire Albanian history flows.

"It was treated in different ways and it conveyed a message that speaks volumes about the existence of a people that was not known, that had its own values ​​that needed to be transmitted," he added.

The values ​​were transmitted by a writer who had already started to walk in world literature. 
Born in Gjirokastër on January 28, 1936, Kadare would grow up in the stone city, which he also raised in the novel. After studying Albanian language and literature in Tirana, he would continue at the "Maxim Gorki" institute in Moscow. After several volumes of poetry he became known in prose. 

"Broken April", "The General of the Dead Army", "The Vault of Shame", "The Great Giants", "Twilight of the Steppe Gods", "The Wicked Year", "The Vulture", "Spiritus", "The Shadow" ", "Descendant", "Who brought Doruntina", "Chronicle in stone", "Castle", "Krushks are frozen", "Building the pyramid of Cheops", "Pyramid" are just some of his works. "The winter of great loneliness", "Concert at the end of winter" and "The clerk of the palace of dreams" also enter his elite literature. 

For his activity, he has been awarded with the most popular prizes shared by the world, including the American "Nobel", as it is alternatively called the "Neustadt" international literature prize, "Pak Kyongni 2019", one of the highest literary awards in South Korea. Likewise, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, awarded him the title of "Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor". The "Prince of Asturias for Literature" was also awarded to him. It has been talked about as a candidate for nomination for the prestigious "Nobel".

The level of Kadare's literature knew no bounds. 

"Equipped with extraordinary talent, from an early age (which reminds us a little of Rembo), and literarily cultured to the level of a scholar with age (which reminds us a little of Goethe), Ismail Kadare displays a daimonian and creative ego that does not knows the boundaries of cultures and civilizations. This is presented in literary and conceptual essay form. In these essays, Kadare appears under Kadare", said academician Sabri Hamiti.

In 1980, in Kosovo, "Rilindja" would publish for the first time a summary of Kadare's work. In addition to a cultural investment, it was also a tribute to the writer whom Albanians were already bragging about everywhere. 

Until the explosion of Kadare in Europe and then in the world, the Balkans had been very little known in Western literature. 

Academician Rexhep Ismajli says that the model of Ivo Andriqi and Nikos Kazantzakis dominated along with some Greek poets, but a voice has been missing from the Albanian world.

"Kadareja has emerged very strongly in this overview and has been imposed everywhere in literature, especially recently in Anglo-American and Spanish literatures, and how to say sometimes syncretism, sometimes competition, sometimes confrontation with Latin American literatures. So it is a literature that is in the spirit of the time. And it does us honor as a culture wherever it is spread", said Ismajli.
In his view, Kadareja belongs to the fund of world literature. As a linguist, he also spoke about the impact that the writer had on the urbanization of language and expression. 

"Urbanization of expression is necessary for modern prose, for the prose of the time. Kadare has not hesitated to move sovereignly through the dimensions of the literature of our time from classic to modern in all aspects of forms and others. It has problematized many issues, it has left a work of first-hand importance for Albanian culture", he added.

The news about Ismail Kadare's death on the first day of July was resounding not only in the Albanian world. The most prestigious media in the world have given him high epithets. With one day of mourning in Kosovo and two in Albania, the activity and legacy of the writer was honored, among others. 
The last farewell on Wednesday, July 3, brought together family, friends, citizens and officials at the Opera and Ballet Theater in Tirana. With the silhouette of St. Teresa in the background – part of a performance scenography and not intended for this occasion – hundreds of people have passed by Kadare's coffin. Those present at the tribute beamed with pride. This is clearly seen. And they have manifested it in several dimensions. 

His publisher, Bujar Hudhri, was one of the closest people to the great writer. He was there even in critical moments. He had frequent conversations with him. But Kadare was hardly decipherable in terms of writings.     

"During the conversations I had, he did not indicate that he was writing anything. He would say 'yes' but the next day he would deny it. But I think he must have left something out. It is up to the wife and daughters to make this known as they have the rights", said Hudhri.

The coffin covered with the national flag and white flowers stood for three and a half hours between the hall of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. This is how the Government of Albania decided to establish a Special Commission led by Prime Minister Edi Rama himself. Shortly before the only speech, that of the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, entered the hall, then Prime Minister Albin Kurti together with a part of the government cabinet, to leave the turn to a group of deputies, and members of the party led by Kurti. 

The president of Albania, Bajram Begaj, the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani and the prime minister of Albania, Edi Rama, joined the stairs.

Writer Liridon Mulaj says that the good fortune of great writers is that they always remain in libraries and bookstores. 

"We were lucky enough to learn Albanian history through the high aesthetic level of Kadare. Anyone who will do a university assignment is impossible not to be moved by Kadare's work", said Mulaj.

Not far from the tribute area, there is the writer's former residence turned into a museum. His home in his hometown is also a museum. He had forgiven the Municipality of Gjirokastra many years ago. 

After the ceremony, the Guard of the Republic carried the coffin between the officials and the citizens. By throwing white roses on the red and black flag and with applause, they have conveyed the man whose pen echoed Albanian history like no other. 

The Tufina cemetery has received few people. The ceremony was held by a close circle of family and friends. Daughters Gresa and Besiana Kadare greeted the attendees, and at the same time invited them for a joint lunch.

"It was quite special as in all other things. He obeyed only the laws of literature. He never scolded me for my negligence. Full, full of others, but he did not spare sarcasm for the authors I read. On the other hand, he was excited when I found a hit line. I have adopted this philosophy myself since childhood", said Gresa Kadare. 

"I'm not going to make a speech, I imagine one of his favorite phrases was 'you're going to leave us alone now, I don't want to.' I imagine it has ascended, it is like in a vortex of light, I imagine it has ascended as I enter the pantheon of geniuses of the world and looks at us. One of the ways to pay tribute to him is to read all of his works again", added Besiana.

In that part of the cemetery, Dritëro Agolli, Rexhep Çeliku, Liljana Cingi, Ganimet Vendresha and Ismail Kadare were together. Each of them occupies a special place in Albanian art. But Kadare went beyond. He touched the world and he did it with the stories of his country. With Kosovo as well. 

Ismail Kadare's connection with Kosovo, beyond the year 1980 when the complete set of works was published, is permanent. The writer had an active role in 1999 when the democratic world decided to save the Albanians of Kosovo from the Serbian regime. 

Writer and researcher Ndue Ukaj says that Kadare's role was beyond what was seen in public. 

"He is among the most deserving for our freedom. I say this with a clear intellectual and creative conscience. I say this recognizing his contribution. If we want to use an expression, we can say that it was the godmother of the NATO intervention in Kosovo", said Ukaj.

"Ra ky mor eu pamë" is a diary of Kadare for the year 1999 and reveals a little of his relationship with the Kosovo delegation in Rambuje, as well as the telegrams exchanged with world personalities. 

Iconic actor Timo Flloko, born in Pejë, says that Kadare emancipated the Albanian language and mentality in difficult times. 

"People of this caliber travel and are not death. He was a great patriot. He has defended with complete fanaticism the issue of the Albanians of Kosovo, the freedom of Kosovo, the state of Kosovo. Kadareja was an extraordinary inspirer of his people. He emancipated the Albanian language and mentality in difficult times of the communist dictatorship. It remains one of the most unique and genius examples of Albanians anywhere in the world. It is an inspiration for Albanianism itself", the actor declared.

The chairman of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Mehmet Kraja, described him as the most persistent supporter of Kosovo in the past 50 years.  

"Kadare's voice in support of Kosovo has created an international political context and managed to penetrate through cold diplomatic offices, it has been an inspiration for many generations of intellectuals, teachers, students, pupils. So for a wide range of people in Kosovo, including those who, in the final act of this story, were in the front lines of the war for the liberation of Kosovo. At this point, Kadare has done more than all the institutions of the Albanian state together", said the president of ASHAK.

Kosovo's goals according to Kraja, including its achievements of recent years, through Kadare's voice have turned and transformed into the voice of national consciousness. 

Kadare has affected the national conscience of the Albanians in different ways by emancipating his people in relation to the history and autochthony. 

He left his books to Albanians and the world. That of life... Ismail Kadare closed it forever.