The poet, prose writer, publicist and politician Dritëro Agolli passed away. He was born in Menkulas of Devolli, where he received his first lessons. He continued his education in Gjirokastër and then moved to St. Petersburg, to pursue higher studies at the Faculty of Arts. Since 1973, Agolli has been the head of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania. For years, he worked as a journalist in the daily “Zëri i Popullit” (“The People’s Voice”) and for several legislatures he served as a deputy. The literary creativity that he left behind includes several genres, such as: poetry, poems, stories, novellas, novels, dramas, film scripts, etc. His most notable poetic work is “Mother Albania” (1975), where the country’s heroic traditions are outlined. In these tones, he wrote the novel “Comissar Memo” (1969), as well as a series of verses and poems, which reflect the heroic spirit of the period of the National Liberation War. Among his satirical creations, the novel “The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo” (1973) stands out for its undeniable literary contribution. In this chronicle of the inglorious career of an official, Agolli satirizes the bureaucrats’ schematism and conformity. He passed away at the age of 85 after a chronic lung disease. (In the photo: Dritëro Agolli; The score of the song entitled “Who knows me”, presented at the 11th Song Festival on Albanian Radio Television, with text prepared by Agolli.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 16-17.
Photo: © Central State Archives
Graphic processing: AHCF
