TODAY IN TIRANA WITH JUSUF BUXHOVI — DISTINGUISHED WRITER, HISTORIAN, PUBLICIST, AND RENOWNED THINKER ON THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL QUESTION
Today in Tirana, I had the pleasure of meeting my friend, the distinguished writer, historian, publicist, and renowned thinker on the Albanian national question, Jusuf Buxhovi.
Whenever he comes to Tirana, Jusuf invariably brings new books with him. This time, he presented me with two of his latest works: “My Post-Wars” (1946–1999 and 2000–2026), a volume of memoirs, conversations, and testimonies, published by the distinguished Faik Konica Publishing House in Prishtina, as well as “The Hidden War: Anteu,” a work of prose.
Jusuf Buxhovi is one of the significant figures of contemporary Albanian culture. As a writer, historian, and publicist, he has created a substantial body of work in which literature, history, collective memory, and national thought intersect in a distinctive manner. Through his novels, historical studies, journalism, and documentary testimonies, Buxhovi has conveyed into Albanian cultural consciousness an important part of the history of the Albanian people—from historical memory to the developments of our own time—examining the national destiny in relation to time, identity, and the challenges of the future.
Jusuf Buxhovi has been present in Tirana’s literary scene since the 1980s, when his renowned novel “The Notes of Gjon Nikollë Kazazi” established an important literary presence. Since its foundation, Nacional has had the privilege of counting him among its distinguished contributors and valued friends.
Our conversation focused on his new books, his forthcoming creative projects, literature, history, and national developments, as well as on the reorganization of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania and the need for a more structured cooperation among Albanian writers and artists in Albania, Kosovo, and the other Albanian-speaking territories.
In this context, Buxhovi expressed his support for the idea of coordinating literary and cultural activities, developing a more integrated market for Albanian-language books, organizing joint festivals and cultural events, and, above all, strengthening the international presence and visibility of Albanian culture.
It was a meeting between two friends of literature, but also a conversation about books, memory, history, and the future of Albanian culture.