Today, writer Fatos Kongoli celebrates his 82nd birthday. Over the years, his literary work—especially after the 1990s—has made a significant contribution to Albanian literature.

Fatos Kongoli was born in Elbasan in 1944. He first began higher studies in mathematics at Peking University and later completed them at the University of Tirana in 1967. Afterward, he worked as a journalist and then as an editor at the Naim Frashëri Publishing House.

In the late 1960s, he published short stories and novellas. Before 1990, he released story collections such as “Similar Concerns” (1972), “Stories” (1978), and “The Engaged” (1982). He also published novels including “The Three of Us” (1985) and “The Carousel” (1990).

His novels, translated into several languages, deeply reflect the existential drama of modern humans. Through his work, he selects human stories and portrays both virtues and flaws of Albanian individuals.

After 1990, he continued publishing: “The Lost” (1992), “The Corpse” (1994), “The Ivory Dragon” (1999), “Damocles’ Dream” (2001), “Dog Skin” (2003, winner of the Golden Pen), “At Saint Peter’s Gate” (2005), “Life in a Matchbox” (2007), “Bolero in the Old People’s Villa” (2009), “Illusions in a Drawer” (2010), “Si-do-re-la” (2011), “The Lucky Man” (2013), and “The Drowned Lament” (2015).

His works have appeared in eleven foreign languages. Furthermore, he won the Silver Pen three times for best prose (1995, 2000, 2002) and received multiple national and international awards.

Finally, he earned the title “Knight of the Legion of Honour” (2010) from the President of France and “Grand Master” (2012) from the President of Albania.

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