Luljeta Lleshanaku, Albania

Luljeta Lleshanaku, born in 1968 in Elbasan, Albania, grew up in the Hoxha dictatorship in the Socialist People’s Republic of Albania. Her family belonged to the opposition and was under house arrest. During that period the whole country was practically isolated from any outside influences. It was only after the fall of the dictatorship that Lleshanaku was able to study and publish poems. Eight volumes of verse appeared in quick succession and she advanced to be one of the major voices of the new Albanian poetry. Lleshanaku has worked as a teacher, editor and scriptwriter. She is currently the Director of the Institute for the Reappraisal of the Communist Genocide in Albania.

Publications (Selection):
Haywire: New & Selected Poems. Bloodaxe Books, 2011
Negative Space, übersetzt von Ani Gjika. New Directions Publishing, 2018

Publications in German Translation:
Kinder der Natur, übersetzt von Andrea Grill. Edition Korrespondenzen, 2010

Prices (Selection):
2009 Kristal-Vilenica-Preis

Listen to the poet on lyrikline.org