What a pleasure to be invited last May to participate in Korça Poetry Nights, one of Albania's longest-riunning and most prestigious poetry festivals. This year's edition of the festival brought together poets from Cyprus, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Algeria and elsewhere. My deepest thanks go to Entela Kasi of PEN Albania and to Jorida Tollkuçi of Thimi Mitko Public Library for the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful event.
It was an equal privilege to join a delegatioh that visited the beautiful town of Devoli, near the border with Greece and Macedonia, where we were welcomed most graciously by the mayor and municipality and treated to a fascinating tour of the surrounding area. It was a trip that fostered much friendship and creativity, one that will live long in the memory.
With a group of poets and writers in Korça's public park. Photo by Vlora Konushevci.
The festival in full swing in the MK Hotel.
A public reading before a Byzantine Altarpiece in the Museum of Medieval History.
With fellow poets Muhsine Arda, Rafael Newman and Barbara Pogacnik.
An imprompyu reading in the Cave of Gulls, on an island in Lake Prespa.
Sali Bashota, poet and scholar from Kosovo, who was honoured by having a tree planted in his honour inKorça's town park, a long-running tradition at the festival.
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