The National Center for the Book and Reading today commemorated the 110th anniversary of the birth of writer Sterjo Spasse (1914-1989). Sterjo Spasse is recognized as one of the most prominent authors in Albanian literature after the 1930s, a novelist with notable contributions.

His novel “Pse?” (Why?), published in 1935, is considered the first philosophical novel written in Albanian.

The National Center for the Book and Reading notes that Spasse remains an emblematic prose writer of his time, moving away from the conventional themes of the period’s novels to establish a new typology in the history of Albanian prose, propelling the literary genre toward modernism.

Sterjo Spasse was born in Gollomboç and passed away in Tirana in 1989. His literary activity was diverse, encompassing pedagogical works, textbooks, translations, various articles, monographs, short stories, novels, and more.

His literary work began in the 1930s, a period during which Sterjo Spasse distinguished himself, particularly in the fields of short stories and novels.

He published four collections of short stories: “Kurorë rinie” (Crown of Youth, 1934), “Në krahët e një femre” (In the Arms of a Woman, 1934), “Nusja pa duvak” (The Bride Without a Veil, 1944), and “Të fala nga fshati” (Greetings from the Village, 1958). He also wrote ten novels: “Nga jeta në jetë – Pse!?” (From Life to Life – Why!? 1935), which is considered his masterpiece, “Afërdita” (Aphrodite, 1944), “Ata nuk ishin vetëm” (They Were Not Alone, 1952), “Afërdita përsëri në fshat” (Aphrodite Again in the Village, 1954), “Buzë liqenit” (By the Lake, 1965), “Zjarre…” (Fires…, 1972), “Zgjimi” (The Awakening, 1973), “Pishtarë” (Torchbearers, 1975), “Ja vdekje ja liri” (Either Death or Freedom, 1978), and “Kryengritësit” (The Rebels, 1983).

The “Rilindja” Publishing House released a complete eight-volume edition of his works in 1968, and various works have been published intermittently. Between 1980 and 1985, an integral nine-volume edition of his works was also published in Tirana. In 1980, his novel “Zgjimi” was translated into English.

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