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.
Biographical Note — Shemsi Mehmeti (1925–2015)
Born in Dumnicë, in Kosovo’s Llap region, Shemsi Mehmeti was a writer, teacher, and journalist whose work helped shape postwar Albanian literature. Believed to have been born on the Night of the Great (Nata e Kadrit)—the 27th night of Ramadan—around April 22, 1925, Mehmeti began his career in education before joining Rilindja, Kosovo’s leading Albanian-language newspaper. As a writer and published author, he became known for his moral clarity, resistance to censorship, and devotion to language and truth. His legacy endures through the Shemsi Mehmeti Literary Estate and the Albanian Heritage Translation Initiative (ABTI).
Archival Access
The collected works of Shemsi Mehmeti are held in the collections of the British Library, London.
With the support of the British Library, the collected works of Shemsi Mehmeti in Albanian have been preserved within its holdings. Selected titles and volumes from the author’s personal collection were donated to the Library for curatorial and research purposes, ensuring continued public access to his literary legacy.
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Genre: Memoir (Unpublished)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.