The writer, Odhise Grillo, who “painted” the children’s imagination with his pen, was commemorated on the 90th anniversary of his birth in a meeting at the National Book Center. Writers, friends and publishers gathered under the center’s chair spoke enthusiastically about his creativity.The creativity of Odhise Grillo is developed in every aspect of literature. The author has written many poems, humorous verses, epic, lyrical and humorous poems, selected fairy tales, tasteful elaborations of some classic works from world and Albanian literature, literary studies, etc.

Grillo was born in 1932 in Vuno, where he went to elementary school. He completed middle school and high school in the capital Tirana. In 1962 he graduated in Faculty of Philology as well as Faculty of Law at the University of Tirana. He started to work at the humor magazine, Hosteni, and later at the Naim Frashëri Publishing House as an editor for children’s publications until he retired, although he went back to editing and writing at the Publishing House “Toena”. He had publications in the magazines Drita, “Nëntori”, “Ylli”, “Zëri i Rinisë”, Hosteni, Pionieri, “Fatosi”, “Yllkat”, and “Bota e fëmijëve”. He was president of the International Association of Children’s Writers, also a professor at the University of Tirana and the Aleksandër Xhuvani University. He has been awarded many national literary prizes in Albania. Internationally his works were translated into Greek, Macedonian, Italian, French, Dutch, and Arabic.

For more than ten years he headed the Nationwide Association of Writers for Children and Young People, first as vice president and finally as president of this association. He holds the title of Professor and Grand Master. He has been the laureate of several Republic Awards, as well as the winner of dozens of different awards of all levels in literary competitions that have been organized. In his long creative life he counts about 120 titles for children.

Odhise Grillo is the writer who, creatively taking advantage of the world experience, has opened new paths in children’s literature, in recreating works for children from the masterpieces of our national and world literature. In this field he is assessed as a founder and innovator.

“Skanderbeg’s History”, recreated according to Naim Frashëri’s poem, is considered one of the outstanding works of the last 10 years by the Institute for the Study of Children’s Literature in Munich, Germany, by the IJB.

For his contribution and qualitative creativity, Odhise Grillo has been included in the 16th volume of the dictionary published by the Cambridge Biographical Institute, also from the IBC and AIB, has received the Gold Medal of Honor, as the outstanding biennial writer.

Grillo died on September 24, 2003 in Tirana, Albania.

/Klara Ruci/