Closure of the 16th edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditët e Naimit”
DITËT E NAIMIT: OPENING IN TETOVA, CLOSURE IN PRISHTINA
From October 18 to 21, the 16th Edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditët e Naimit” took place in Tetova, Prizren and Prishtina. This cultural milestone was organized in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Albanian state in cooperation with the State University of Tetova and with PEN Kosova. A series of literary, artistic and cultural activities took place within three days. The festival was attended by over 30 poets from different countries of the world, like: USA, Argentina, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Morroco, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, Great Britain, Slovenia, Macedonia Albania and Kosova.
The festive opening of the 16th edition was marked by fireworks in front of the Centre of Culture in Tetova. In the beginning, the director of the Festival Shaip Emërllahu, the laureate Tua Forsström, the chairman of the Writers’ Association of Kosova Adem Demaçi, and the dean of the State University of Tetova Vullnet Ahmeti deposited bouquets of flowers in front of the statue of the Albanian national poet Naim Frashëri in the centre of Tetova. This statue was erected by the Direction of the Festival on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death. After that, the exposition “100 Years of Independence” of the painter Miftar Mehmeti was opened in the foyer of the Centre of Culture.
The 16th edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditët e Naimit” was opened ceremonially by the Director of the Festival, Shaip Emërllahu, who said among others: “During the trajectory of 16 years of the Festival, dozens of bridges of dialogue have been built between representatives of Albanian literature, art and culture, as well as between this immaterial Albanian world and others. The communication and interaction of this cultural and literary format with other literatures through a way-showing infrastructure has made the Albanian outlook on literature, poetry, and art and culture in general formulate also other approaches, to have them circulate with time.”
Welcoming speeches for the public were held by the chairman of the Writers’ Association of Kosova and patriot Adem Demaçi, and the dean of the State University of Tetova, Prof. Dr. Vullnet Ahmeti.
During the literary hour “Poetic Globe”, many poets read their poems. The Director of the Festival, Shaip Emërllahu, presented the laureate from Finland, Tua Forsström, with the major award “Naim Frashëri” and the title “Honorary Member of the Festival”.
Likewise, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the coronation of the efforts of the Albanians for independence, the Direction of the Festival conferred the title “Honorary Member of the Festival” to the writer and patriot Adem Demaçi. Up to now, the title “Honorary Member of the Festival” has been given to well-known writers and intellectuals like Ismail Kadare (Albania), Desmond Egan (Ireland), Thomas Tidholm (Sweden), Manlio Argueta (El Salvador), Abdellatif Laâbi (Morocco), Peter Poulsen (Denmark), Lionel Ray (France), Eva Lipska (Poland), Craig Czury (USA) usw.
On the second day of the programme, the laureate Tua Forsström was presented in the amphitheatre of the State University of Kosova. The chairman of the Jury, Ymer Çiraku, spoke about her creative work, whereas the dean Vullnet Ahmeti handed her the emblem of the University.
Subsequently, the poets visited the tekke “Arabati Baba” in Tetova, where the spiritual leaders of this tekke honoured the poets with a lunch.
On the afternoon of the second day of the Festival, the poets went to Prizren and on the following day to Prishtina in Kosova. The literary hour “Poets and verses” was held in Prizren, whereas the closing evening took place in the National Theatre in Prishtina, where the poets were welcomed by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajdin Abazi, and the chairman of PEN Kosova, Basri Çapriqi. During the great literary hour “Poetic Meridians”, the other literary prizes of the Festival were awarded. So the literary award “Ditët e Naimit” for one’s career in the field of poetry was awarded to the Albanian poet Rudolf Marku, the prize for special poetic values “Menada” was given to the Moroccan poet Mohammed El Amraoui, the literary prize for the best poetry cycle “Oeneum” was awarded to Donika Dabishevci, whereas “Naim’s Candle” arrived in the hands of the Ukrainian poet Anna Bagriana.
Besides, the Direction has published the anthology of the poets participating in this edition “Ëndërr e shituar”, edited by Shaip Emërllahu, and the poetry book of the Algerian poet Nouar Abidi with the title “Tetova, this Beautiful Woman”.
The opening of the 16th Edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditët e Naimit” was broadcasted live in the Albanian-language programme of the National Television of Macedonia, whereas the closure of the Festival was covered by Radiotelevizioni i Kosovës.
The Festival was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Macedonia and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosova.
Artan Arsllani
