THE SHEMSI MEHMETI LITERARY ESTATE

The Shemsi Mehmeti Literary Estate is dedicated to preserving, publishing, and translating the writings of Albanian poet, journalist and author Shemsi Mehmeti (1925–2016).

Administered by R. B. Castrioti
Established under the auspices of Rilindja International.

"The truth of a people lives in its language, and dies in its silence."

Shemsi Mehmeti

The Mission of the Estate

The Shemsi Mehmeti Literary Estate, established and administered by his granddaughter, R. B. Castrioti, exists to preserve, protect, and promote Mehmeti’s literary legacy. Hosted by Rilindja International Limited, the Estate is responsible for the stewardship of his body of work, including -

Published and unpublished poetry
Essays, letters, and memoirs
Historical reflections and political writings
Archival materials, recordings, and photographs

Our mission is to ensure these works are responsibly edited, translated, published, and made available to future generations.

Contact

R. B. Castrioti
Administrator, Shemsi Mehmeti Literary Estate
📧 estate@rilindjainternational.org.uk

Contact me

Literary Rights & Licensing

The Estate retains all literary rights to the works of Shemsi Mehmeti. To request permission for the following, please contact us at estate@rilindjainternational.org.uk

Republishing or quoting from his works | Translation or adaptation | Academic or anthology inclusion | Media or film usage

upcoming publications

**Ai dhe Ajo** (*He and She*)
**Genre:** Poetry
**Original Language:** Albanian
**Status:** In translation
A lyrical and intimate collection meditating on love, memory, and the politics of togetherness. This book blends personal longing with quiet philosophical force—an elegy for connection under censorship.

**Një Jetë Midis Shkronjave** (*A Life Among Letters*)
**Genre:** Memoir *(Unpublished)*
**Original Language:** Albanian
**Status:** Being prepared for first-time publication
Shemsi Mehmeti’s never-before-published memoir, chronicling a lifetime of literary labour, censorship, exile, and survival. Introspective and unflinching, this work offers rare insight into the intellectual life of a man caught between silence and language.

**Sokolat**
**Genre:** Political Fiction / Allegorical Novel
**Original Language:** Albanian
**Status:** In translation
A poetic and symbolic narrative examining resistance, loyalty, and betrayal through the metaphor of falcons. Written during intense political repression, *Sokolat* explores the fragile boundaries between homeland, exile, and moral survival.

**Kur Kumbullat Bajshin Rrush**
(*When the Plums Turned to Grapes*)
**Genre:** Short Stories / Prose-Poetry
**Original Language:** Albanian
**Status:** In translation
A haunting, allegorical collection of short stories and prose-poems reflecting on transformation, survival, and the absurdity of life under occupation. Drawing from oral traditions and village life, Mehmeti weaves a tapestry of humor, resistance, and quiet spiritual rebellion. The title itself evokes impossible longing—plums never become grapes—hinti

**Bijtë e Tokës së Djegur** (*Sons of the Scorched Earth*)
**Genre:** Historical Essays / Political Writing
**Original Language:** Albanian
**Status:** In translation
A powerful nonfiction work chronicling the suffering and resistance of Albanians in the aftermath of war and colonization. Both testimony and political philosophy, this book reflects Mehmeti’s enduring commitment to truth-telling.

**Të Huaj në Tokë të Vet** (*Strangers in Their Own Land*)
**Genre:** Prose / Political Reflections
**Original Language:** Albanian
**Status:** In translation
A deeply moving and politically charged text on displacement, belonging, and cultural alienation. This work speaks directly to the diasporic experience—of being rendered foreign in the place that made you.

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