The greatest Albanian writer, Ismail Kadare, passed away in the early hours of this morning.
 |
| Photo of Ismail Kadare in his office in Tirana shortly before he died |
Kadare died at the age of 88. He was born in Gjirokastër on January 28, 1936. He was an academic, politician, former member of the People's Assembly (1970-1982), deputy chairman of the Democratic Front, and one of the greatest contemporary writers.
He completed his secondary education in Gjirokastra. In 1958, he graduated in Language and Literature from the University of Tirana. He then went to Moscow for two years to study at the "Maxim Gorky" Institute of World Literature (1958-1960). He gained international recognition when his novel "The General of the Dead Army" was published in 1963, during the communist rule of dictator Enver Hoxha in Albania.
Before political pluralism was established in Albania following student protests in December 1990, Kadare traveled to France, where he sought political asylum. He lived in Paris, but in recent years he had returned to Tirana.
As a writer, he excelled mainly in prose, but his contributions also extended to drama, poetry, and translations. He began writing at a young age, initially gaining recognition for his poetry, and later for his prose, becoming the foremost Albanian prose writer. His works have been translated into around 45 different languages, making him a leading representative of Albanian literature worldwide.
In 1996, Kadare became a permanent member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in France. He was honored with numerous international awards, including the "Man Booker International Prize" in 2005, the "Prince of Asturias Award" for Arts in 2009, and the "Jerusalem Prize" in 2015. In recent years, he divided his time between France and Albania.