CLOSURE OF THE XXV EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVAL “DITET E NAIMIT”

From October 21-24, 2021, the 25th Jubilee Edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditet e Naimit” was held in Tetova. Numerous literary, artistic, scientific and cultural activities were held throughout the three days. It was attended by poets from around the world such as: Kama Syvor Kamanda (Congo), Nivedita Lakhera (USA), Giuseppe Napolitano (Italy), Chad Norman (Canada), Jorge Medina (Colombia), Jona Burghart and Esteban Charpantier (Argentina), Erling Kitelsen (Norway), Rati Raksena (India), Mohamed al Amroi (Morocco), Metin Çengiz (Turkey), Atila F. Balazs (Hungaria), Triin Somets (Estonia), Tobias Burghart (Germany), Mehmet Ismail (Azerbaijan), Endre Kukureli (Romania), Agneshka Herman and Alicja Kuberska (Poland), Rosana (Bulgaria), Olimbi Velaj and Viola Isufaj (Albania), Naime Beqiraj and Shqipe Malushi (Kosova), Marta Markoska, Salajdin Salihu and Isuf Sherifi (North Macedonia).

The festive opening of the Jubilee Edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditet e Naimit” was done by lighting fireworks and flamethrowers carried by young people in Albanian national costumes, in front of the Cultural Center in Tetova. Meanwhile, the Director of the Festival, Shaip Emerllahu and the laureate Kama Kamanda placed the bouquet of flowers in front of the statue and gave a minute of silence to our national poet, Naim Frasheri.

The 25th Jubilee edition of IPF “Ditet e Naimit” was opened by the director of the Festival, Shaip Emerllahu, who, among other things, stressed that, ‘It was a great challenge to set up an international poetic and cultural operator. It took energy, perseverance and such work to come to this festive day full of emotions and joys. “Ditet e Naimit” are literary and cultural operators that for a quarter of a century has promoted and affirmed literature, culture, our language, the poet Naim Frasheri not only among Albanians, but also among people of art, culture and the media from around the world.

Shaip Emërllahu duke mbajtur fjalën e hapjes në Edicionin Jubilar të FNP “Ditët e Naimit”

This project marker of poetic, musical and visual art was raised on an anniversary of his name, a quarter of a century ago in one of the corners of our geoculture, Tetova. At first as a poetic manifestation, which marked his birthday, and then as a project that has to do with the format of dialogue. The idea was that, only a figure as multidimensional, that of Naim was for an Albanian time and space, where education and his being was endangered… and worked tirelessly to install the first object of higher education in the Albanian language. . It was the time when he felt more the need to believe in his lapidary “only the light of knowledge will lead us forward”. His lessons in the disturbed Tetova were most prominent in the disturbed years of the last decade of the millennium he left behind. The Albanian creators who had emerged from the ghetto of totalitarianism and that of Slavic hegemony, found an assembly to promote their poetic words, a meeting place to get to know each other communist, their art, etc.

If at the time, “Ditet e Naimit” marked the arena of dialogue of Albanian poetry, a year later, he presented the intercommunication with the leading poetry and foreign culture. We lived in a period where you feel the need to talk to everyone. We felt that we had something to say to our values…, and we felt we knew their values.

This is how it was in the past … It will remain so as long as poetry / literature is needed by humanity.

In the great literary hour ‘Poetic Globe’, 25 poets read their poems in physical presence, while 7 poets virtually.

There, in that beautiful stage full of people, the laureate Kama Kamanda was awarded the grand prize “Naim Frashëri”, and was awarded the hightitle of Honorary Member, by the director of the Festival, Shaip Emerllahu. On this occasion, Laureate thanked for the honor given to poetry, his work, saying that he feels honored and appreciated, and thanked the Festival Directorate and the jury of the Festival Prof. Dr. Ymer Çiraku, Mr. Ndue Ukaj and Prof. Xhelal Zejneli.

On the second day of the program, the poets visited the cities of Struga and Pogradec, where in the beautiful odeon by the lake they held the letters “Poets and verses”.

According to the program, on the third day was opened the exhibition with photographs entitled “25 years of Ditet e Naimit”, while on the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of the poet Silke Liria Blumbah, was given the documentary film by Narta Emerllahu, “One year after my death ”.

Within the program, the inauguration of five titles of theP. H. “Ditet e Naimit”: “Now and here” by Macedonian laureate Lidija Dimkovska, book with scientific works “Naim Frasheri and homeland”, by foreign and Albanian scholars, anthology of poetry by participating poets “Symphony of the wind” prepared by Shaip Emerllahu, the volume of poetry “Spirit” by the poet Isuf Sherifi and the bilingual poetic book Albanian / English “Fjala e gjymte” by the poet Bujar Plloshtani.

Also, on the occasion of the 25th Jubilee Edition, the Scientific Conference “Ditet e Naimit, Naim Frasheri and Silke Liria Blumbach” was held, where Albanian and foreign scholars and poets read and submitted their papers, such as; American professor and laureate George Wallas from the USA, Giuseppe Napolitano from Italy, Mr. Jasmina Salija from Slovakia, Prof.dr. Ymer Çiraku, Prof. dr. Olimbi Velaj, Prof. dr. Begzat Baliu, Prof. Dr. Myrvete Dreshaj, Prof. Dr. Salajdin Salihu, Prof. Dr. Flamur Shala, Dr. Izmit Durmishi, Prof. Dr. Jeton Kelmendi, Mr. Ndue Ukaj, Prof. Arjan Kallço, poet Puntorie Muça Ziba, Prof. Xhelal Zejneli, poet Remzi Salihu, poet Iljaz Osmani, poet Bujar Plloshtani, etc.

Meanwhile, on the evening of the third night, the great literary hour “Poetic Meridians” was held, where poems were read and the other literary prizes of the Festival were awarded. Thus, the literary prize ‘Ditet e Naimit’, which is given for literary career, was given to the Norwegian poet , Erlin Kitersen, the ‘Menada’ award, given for special poetic values was given to the Turkish poet Metin Çengiz, the literary award ‘Oeneumi’, given for the best poetic cycle was given to the poet from Kosova, Naime Beqiraj, the literary award ‘Qiriu i Naimit’, which is given for best poetry, was won by the poet, Viola Isufaj, and the literary award ‘Silke / Liria’ given for poetic expression was given to the Polish poet, Alicja Kuberska.

The festival was led by the moderator Narta Emerllahu, while the translation of the poems was read in Albanian by the famous actor Arsim Kaleci. The Albanian-Slovak pianist Jasmina Salia performed from a musical point, Emine Sumeja performed on the flute, while the guitarist Granit Vela accompanied the reading of the poets poems.