Today, the National Museum of Wiretapping, “The House with Leaves,” honored the writer, translator, and scholar Arshi Pipa.

Arshi Pipa was born on July 28, 1920, in Shkodër. After finishing high school there, he studied Literature and Philosophy at the University of Florence. He graduated in 1942 with a dissertation titled “Morality and Religion in the Philosophy of Henri Bergson.” After graduation, he returned to Albania and taught in high schools in Tirana and Durrës until 1946.

When the League of Writers and Artists began publishing its magazine, Bota e Re, Pipa and Mitrush Kuteli were the only non-communists on its leadership board. Moreover, Pipa was asked to write about the anniversary of Migjeni’s death. However, the party disapproved of his text. Consequently, on April 27, 1946, they arrested him and sentenced him to two years in prison. Later, on December 20, 1947, they sentenced him again to 20 years for co-founding the Social Democratic group.

During this time, he endured imprisonment in various places, including Durrës, Gjirokastër, Korçë, and Burrel. Eventually, he was released on April 26, 1956. In 1957, he escaped with his sister. First, they settled in Sarajevo until 1959. Then, they emigrated to the United States.

In 1944, Pipa published his first poetry book, The Sailors. Later, he wrote The Prison Book on cigarette papers while imprisoned. He published this second book in Rome in 1959.

From 1966, Pipa worked at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis. Initially, he served as an associate professor (1966–1969). Afterwards, he became a professor of Italian language in the French and Italian department.

Pipa left a rich legacy of poetic translations from Latin, Italian, French, German, and English. Notably, while a refugee in Yugoslavia, he translated a volume called Latin Lyrics. His works appear in Albanian, English, French, and Italian, spanning poetry, aesthetics, philosophy, and literary criticism.

Regarding his studies and critiques, some notable works include Typology and Periodization of Albanian Literature, Fan Noli as a National and International Figure, The Italo-Albanian Humanists, A Conversation on Kadare, and The Kadare Phenomenon.

Finally, Arshi Pipa passed away on July 20, 1997, in Washington D.C.

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