TIRANA, January 28 – Albania marked the 90th birthday of Ismail Kadare, born on January 28, 1936, in the Palorto neighborhood of Gjirokastër.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja called Kadare a giant of Albanian literature. He said Kadare left an enduring legacy that reflects Albania’s national identity.

Minister Gonxhja added that Kadare’s work deserves deep respect and called him unforgettable.

Kadare became the most prominent Albanian writer both at home and abroad. He gained international recognition with “The General of the Dead Army” in 1963, despite Albania’s communist isolation.

He continued his career with major works, including “The Castle” (1970), “The Wedding Procession is Frozen” (about the 1981 demonstrations in Kosova), “Chronicle in Stone” (1970), and “The Palace of Dreams” (1981), considered one of his most celebrated novels.

In 1990, Kadare moved to France and returned to Albania after early democratic developments.

The President of Albania awarded him the Order of Honour of the Nation. Since 1996, he has been a permanent associate member of the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. In October 2023, President Emmanuel Macron promoted him to Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour in Tirana.

Kadare received several international awards, including the Man Booker Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award. Critics place him among globally recognized writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Günter Grass, and Milan Kundera.

His works have been translated into 45 languages.
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