Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

Conversation with Ledia Xhoga, author of Misinterpretation, longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025

by

Interviewer Rafaela Prifti/

Congratulations on the nomination! You are the first Albanian-born female novelist longlisted for the Booker Prize. What jumps to mind instantly is Ismail Kadare’s winning the first Man Booker International Prize in 2005 (now International Booker Prize) – an award that honored his entire body of work. What is it like to be up there?

-Being longlisted certainly increases the book’s visibility and opens up opportunities. I feel beyond honored and hugely intimidated to see my name next to Kadare, whom I grew up reading. It’s also a bit strange, honestly, as it puts a strong spotlight on a person, and most writers are introverts who have a hard time with that kind of attention. As far as gender is concerned, six other wonderful writers who are women are on the list, so I’m in good company.

Living in-between is a central concept of the imigrant experience that you explore through the nameless protagonist, the Albanian American profesional interpreter, and a whole cast of imigrants from around the world in your debut novel.

-Yes, there are many immigrants in the story and they’re all experiencing the in-between. They all want something that’s beyond their reach, some are trying to become legal or heal themselves, some simply want a life where they’re not harassed. They all have their goals. The novel starts in January and I had the feeling, while writing it, that it would end in spring, which worked well metaphorically showing the possibilities of regeneration and renewal in that final scene.

“The Albanianess” is interwoven with the main theme of caring too much, a strong trait that leads the protagonist into dangerous situations. Since the book is released in Albanian by Botimet Dudaj, I will ask you to choose three words to describe it in Albanian.

Dinamik, mbërthyes, i paparashikueshëm.

The protagonist’s drive to help fellow immigrants, though admirable, becomes an unchecked compulsion. You had said that a brief personal experience as an interpreter for a New York organization, provided the premise of the story “that was ready to be told.” Was that unusual or is that an habitual workflow?

-It was actually a volunteer opportunity someone told me about. The man I was to interpret for had the same history as Alfred and he was a survivor of torture. But I’ve never worked professionally as an interpreter or translator. Yes, of course, it takes a while for some stories to get off the ground. A select few flow much easier it seems. Writers call them a gift. I wouldn’t say this story was a gift though. But although I struggled with the structure of the novel initially, there was something propulsive in the storyline, which allowed me to finish it.

In the story, silence is not just the absence of sound, it could indicate represion or rebellion, which is evident each time the narrator opts to say nothing to Billy, her husband, or Alfred, the Kosovar Albanian client that she is helping. What do the novel’s reflective spaces convey to the reader?

-It’s common for astute readers to notice things that writers don’t even intend, at least not consciously. I wasn’t aware of the role of silence, thank you for bringing it up. Billy’s attention to the unspoken is mentioned in regard to his interest in silent film and is consistent with the fact that he is also attuned to his wife’s moods, and he can read her reactions, even when she doesn’t tell him things. And then there’s the silence that happens after they fight, since they’re both upset. It offers a moment of introspection perhaps and it also reveals her feelings as she reflects upon their relationship. I like your interpretation that silence represents rebellion and repression, I’m sure that’s true, too.

The mother figure manifests itself in a fascinating ensemble of female characters such as the narrator’s mother, and Anna’s, Alma’s, Billy’s, Alfred’s. How does their presence – physical, emotional, psychological – enhance the larger narrative of the story?

-You are right, we get to know the mother of nearly every character! I think that the mothers in the novel embody the histories of the countries the characters come from as well as the ongoing emotional and psychological issues that affect generation after generation. Although they are trying to solve the issues that deal with their day to day life, these characters carry their pasts like shadows. This is something that the interpreter and Alfred sense about each other, by the way, and it connects them.

The interplays between dualities (the narrator’s father and uncle), contradictions in intents and motivations, echoes of the past in her family and the history of Albania build up the tension in several plot points with a thriller like quality.

-As people we are wired to notice similarities and differences, some of which are mundane and some are revealing from a character perspective. If you listen to any conversation in a coffee shop or bus, you’ll find statements like that, people trying to make sense of one another and pointing at differences. Of course, in fiction we have to think about how these characteristics fit in the bigger story. What did it mean for the interpreter to have a father who never sugarcoated things? So, the opposites serve to clarify characters, but they have to fit in the fabric of the story.

Would you please introduce yourself to the readers and your journey as a writer and a playwright? For anyone interested, there is a list of more than a dozen short and full length plays on your website lediaxhoga.com, a few of them are available for online watching.

-I’ve lived in New York City for a long time, for twenty years. I now am a parent and live in Brooklyn with my family. I worked in book publishing in Manhattan for many years, but then I wanted to write fiction, so I got an MFA in Fiction writing at Texas State. Yes, I’ve always been interested in Playwriting and had many short plays produced. I love writing dialogue. I also like screenwriting and would love to write a screenplay that turns into a movie someday.

What is the best way for the readers and fans to find out more about you and your work?

Thank you so much for reaching out to me about this. My website is lediaxhoga.com and I’m on

Instagram.

Your nomination is a remarkable achievement! The debut novel is a testament of your outstanding talent. Best of luck, Ledia!

The interview was conducted via email and edited for length and clarity Booker Prize is a prestigous literary award conferred annually for a single work of fiction written in English published in the UK. It was founded in 1969. Ledia Xhoga’s debut novel is among 13 works longlisted out of over 150 titles for 2025. The Booker Prize will announce its six-book shortlist tomorrow at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Delegacioni i Qeverisë së Kosovës – Bashkëbisedim për Artin në Konsullatë

by

Rafaela Prifti/

Në Konsullatën e Përgjithshme të Kosovës në Nju Jork bashkëbisedimi midis anëtarëve të komunitetit dhe dy anëtarëve të qeverisë së Kosovës ishte pjesë e vizitës së Ministrit të Rinisë, Kulturës dhe Sportit z. Hajrullah Çeku dhe zv. Ministres së Punëve të Jashtme dhe Diasporës, zonja Liza Gashi. Delegacionin qeveritar e prezantoi Konsulli i Përgjithshëm i Republikës së Kosovës, Ambasadori Blerim Reka, duke thënë se qëllimi i vizitës së tyre ishte një ngjarje në sferën e artit, pikërisht hapja mbrëmë në tarracën jashtë Metropolitan Museum të instalimeve nga artisti kosovar, 39 vjeçari me famë botërore, Petrit Halilaj, i cili shprehu falënderime të veçanta për mbështetjen që i është dhënë. “Mbrëmë ka qenë një nga ditët më të lumtura të jetës sime, “ tha ai me nënën pranë.

“Me anë të artit të tij, ai tregon historinë e Kosovës,” tha z. Çeku për të pranishmit. “Të tjerë shembuj të mirë në art dhe kulturë”, siç i quajti ai, “janë nderimi me mirënjohje të veçantë i instalacionit skulpturor nga Hana Halilaj dhe Doruntina Kastrati, përzgjedhja e filmit të shkurtër nga regjisori kosovar Saimir Karahoda në Festivalin e Filmit në Kanë, etj.”

Ministri Çeku foli për momentet kritike në kontekstin e anëtarësimit të Kosovës në Këshillin e Evropës dhe hapjes së rrugës drejt organizmave ndërkombëtare. Zgjedhjet në Parlamentin Evropian në qershor dhe ato presidenciale në nëntor në Amerikë do të kenë rëndësi të veçantë për komunitetin shqiptar dhe gjithë shqiptarët. Zëvendës Ministrja e Punëve të Jashtme dhe Diasporës, zonja Liza Gashi vuri në dukje se krahas komunikimit të institucioneve të Republikës së Kosovës me diasporën duhet të ketë “edhe njohje horizontale brenda bashkësisë për të mbërritur më shumë, sepse duke qenë bashkë, jemi më të fuqishëm.”

Për procesin e regjistrimit, znj. Gashi tha se “mund të kryhet për 5 minuta në pajisjet elektronike që keni.” Ajo shpjegoi se “numërimi është i lidhur jo vetëm me përcaktimin e buxhetit të Kosovës në 10 vitet e ardhshme por edhe me infrastrukturën në rrethin a qytetin ku banoni, pra lidhet drejtpërdrejt me adresimin më të efektshëm të kërkesave dhe planifikimit më të mirë të investimeve.”

Midis të pranishme ishin figura të artit dhe kulturës si fotografi Fadil Berisha, veprimtarë të komunitetit si botuesi i gazetës Illyria Vehbi Bajrami, Dr. Shpresa Xhakli, Drejtoreshë ekzekutive e Fondit Shqiptar për Fëmijë, çifti i mirënjohur i muzikës popullore Merita Halili dhe Raif Hyseni, Djellza Pulatani, Kryetare e shoqatës F’Oda, të cilët u përshëndetën me vizitorët dhe uruan artistin Petrit Halilaj për instalacionin skulpturor Abetare, ekspozita e parë e tij në Amerikë.

Buta Biberaj Discusses Motivations and Possible Options in Exit Interview with Ilir Zherka

by

Rafaela Prifti/

Former high-profile Democratic prosecutor in northern Virginia Buta Biberaj, a strong proponent of progressive justice reforms is open to running for a different office after her bid for a second term ended last November. In January, the first Albanian American female Attorney in the Loudoun County Commonwealth Office ensured a smooth transition to the current holder of the position, and is now considering her available options. With a decadeslong legal career in both private and public service, Buta is a supremely qualified candidate for a number of positions including the State Attorney General.

On Tuesday afternoon, during a 45 minute Zoom interview hosted and moderated by Ilir Zherka, Chair of the Democratic Council of Albanian Americans (DCAA), a volunteer-led organization, Buta affirmed her personal and professional convictions to the guests and media members online. Her story of coming in the US as a toddler with her Albanian family who first resided in the South Bronx and then choosing a profession with the most impact in the community starting with education and then law school offers plenty of evidence of an inquiring mind that invites challenges and seeks multiple perspectives.

Over thirty years ago, coming out of George Mason Law School, Buta Biberaj opened her own practice becoming a trailblazer for female lawyers in America. Shortly after, she also would serve as a substitute judge for over 11 years and a guardian ad litem for over 23 years. Buta said she appreciated seeing the criminal justice system from many sides, as a defense lawyer, prosecutor and judge. To question the standard formula of “This is how we apply the law”, she took on the challenging task of stepping out of the accustomed “comfort zone” by asking herself: “What are you going to do about it?”

She decided to shift from private law to public service. In 2019, Buta Biberaj ran for office and became the “first woman elected, the first immigrant (Albanian American) and the first Muslim to serve as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Loudoun County.”

During her first term in office, she pursued reforms and started community supported programs aimed at reducing crime, promoting diversity and developing “a better, more humane approach to safety and justice.”

Buta Biberaj is part of a wave of reform prosecutors who won Virginia four years ago. She speaks out against the dehumanizing effect of the system that unfairly impacts the marginalized, color communities and those with lesser financial means.

Her advice to the younger generation of Albanian Americans? When it comes to actively engaging and supporting your community through your skills, “Don’t overthink it!”

The DCAA website lists Buta Biberaj as a member of its Board of Directors in 2023. Reporting on the campaign, the Loudoun Times-Mirror and national media has stated that her hard fought bid for a second term as County Commonwealth Attorney was narrowly lost by 300 votes. She and her team initiated programs such as Domestic Abuse Response Team, the Victim Witness Program that are aligned with progressive policies. Biberaj, 59, has defended her approach on crime that focuses in prosecuting violent criminals rather than low-level non violent offenders. She describes herself as part of the progressive prosecutor movement.

NY Concert for Simon Gjoni 100th Birth Year – Homage to his Music Legacy and Lasting Presence

by

Rafaela Prifti/

His musical accomplishments were remarkable, his popularity enormous, his presence among us forever linked to the song that has been a favorite through generations of Albanians. Widely recognized as the nation’s lyrical anthem, Luleborë is Simon Gjoni’s love song to his sweetheart, his hometown of Shkoder and eventually all of us. The Sunday concert at Symphony Space in New York was a tribute to Gjoni’s 100th birth year directed by Andis Gjoni, composer’s son, who is an artist and theater director in New York. To mark this important anniversary, roughly a month earlier, a musical homage was performed in Tirana, Albania, with renowned guest vocalists and musicians. That event coupled with a photo show, a book launch at Albania’s Academy of Science Muzika dhe Epoka (Music and Era) – a monography by Andis Gjoni, preceded the December 10th concert at Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater in New York.

Included in the program were recorded segments and footage of the composer stepping in the TV studio in Albania in 1986 that allowed the audience of different backgrounds and a wide range of age groups to have “a-first-impression-feel” of the artist before going into the world of music creations that span for decades. The opera singers and music artists that performed on stage featured talents and professionals with impressive repertoires such as Kreshnik Zhabjaku, Mira Konçi, Vedat Ademi, Ergin Oda, Fiorela Miria, Riad Ymeri, Deshira Ahmeti Kërliu, Redi Llupa, Estela Syla, Gjilberta Lucaj Kohen, Ariana Krasniqi Dupont.

Simon Gjoni belongs to the generation of Albanian artists whose names we know and whose work has laid the foundations of the music genre. The diversity of his works is hard to match. While folks are familiar with a few favorites among more than 200 songs written by him such as “Pash syt’ tu’ si drita” (Pure light of your eyes), “End o vashë” (Weaving girl), Simon Gjoni, as a composer and a founder of the Albanian Radio and Television Orchestra, has done a notable service to the art of music including composing, conducting, recording and teaching.

Invited at the concert as a distinguished guest Limos Dizdari, a renowned Albanian composer, spoke of the pioneer work and challenges faced by his friend and colleague in the time period that defined the standards for the music, under half a century of Albania’s communist rule.

Simon Gjoni passed away in 1991. His legacy as a composer and multidimentional artist is safely secured in songs and compositions such as Romances, Cantatas, Symphonic Suites, Ballads, seven Symphonic Dances, Symphonic Poems, Suites and more. His collaborations, too many to mention, are present in music, film productions and animations. On a personal note, two of the animated movies are with my father, Naum Prifti (1932-2023).

Hermina Gjoni, his wife and life partner, a career pianist and piano accompanist, attributes the success of Simon Gjoni’s opus from the early songs to orchestra and symphony compositions to its distinctive national properties. She says that he appreciated the musical Albanian individuality and employed his talents to advance it.

After graduating from Conservatory of Music in Prague and after having performed works of world classics like Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bellini, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Liszt etc. there, Simon Gjoni returned to Albania and conducted at the Opera Theater in Tirana masterpieces and a few operas. He is one of the founders of Albania’s Radio and Television Orchestra. While there, he takes the initiative to professionally record music by Albanian composers like Çesk Zadeja, Pjeter Gaci, Tish Daija, Tonin Harapi, Pjeter Dungu, Abdulla Grimci, Nikolla Zoraqi, Kristo Kono, etc. and the soundtrack of some movies.

His focus on education includes text books on the foundations of music, including one that was published posthumously Instruments and the art of orchestration in 2001. Gjoni started teaching in 1958 at the Art Lycee – Music High School in Tirana and in 1961 was among the first professors and founders of the Tirana Conservatory of Music (today University of the Arts), educating future musicians in music polyphony, orchestration, conducting, intonation and chamber music.

“Every single detail was put in place thoughtfully and in great harmony with vocalists and opera singers that delivered impeccable executions,” said Adem Belliu, Founder and Director of Televizioni Kultura Shqiptare (Albanian Culture TV) who recorded the event. Having a musical background, Belliu experienced the performance as a fitting tribute to a distinguished artist that also satisfied the senses with perfect unison. “The community deserved to have such a high quality performance for the beloved composer,” he said. The “Albanian Excellence” supported the event, its Founder and Director, Flora Nikolla contributed with the program script.

The night confirmed that composer’s creations have long been embraced by the folks in Albania and diaspora. The homage concert on December 10th at Symphony Space in New York under the care of Andis Gjoni served as an acknowledgement of Simon Gjoni’s musical gifts and also a reminder of his lasting presence among Albanians far and wide.

Bio Data: Andis Gjoni

Photo Courtesy: Olsi Beci

+2

Advocating for Change to Counter Gender Based Violence, F’Oda Holds NY Rally for Liridona Ademaj

by

Rafaela Prifti/

In the aftermath of the killing of Liridona Ademaj in Kosova in a case of domestic violence, a rally was called on Saturday at corner of 42nd Street and 2nd Ave by F’Oda, a Women’s Advocacy Group. As the public outrage has cut across demographics and geographic locations, organizers in New York aim to bring change to the entrenched issue of gender based violence. President of F’Oda, Djellza Pulatani addressed the crowd on Saturday by first talking about Liridona, an accomplished woman, mother of two small children, reportedly killed in an alleged murder-for hire-scheme by her husband, Naim Murseli. In her remarks at the rally, Djellza reflected on the gender social norms that result in “being treated as a secondary being” – a citizen of a lesser social status assigned to women in a patriarchy which consequently subjects them to violence. To drive the point further Dita Dreaj, F’Oda partner and podcast host of Vajza + Gra, recited a poem she dedicated to the fear associated with “just being a woman.” 

Gender based violence is not an Albanian issue. Community activist Beti (Bedrije) Tola put it in the context of Albanian gender norms and the social stigma surrounding divorce. According to police and news reports, Liridona Ademaj had filed for divorce from her husband, Naim Murseli, currently in the custody of Kosova Police. From the time of the Albanian traditional Code of Ethics, Kanuni, Albanian men are perceived as protectors of the family. “The acts of violence suffered by Albanian women at the hands of their life partners and spouses are incomprehensible in that context,” said Gjek Gjonlekaj, former VOA correspondent, Albanian Language Service.   

Kosova Police have been commended for acting swiftly in making four arrests in the case. Bringing the perpetrators to swift justice is seen as a measure that serves as a deterrence. Yet organizers believe the issue goes beyond justice in the strict legal sense. It links directly to gender equality and social justice. The case of Liridona Ademaj is not an isolated case of gender based violence but rather reinforces the importance of a global conversation, that speakers like Dora Nano, one of the F’Oda partners, believe is starting to gain some traction. “It is within our collective voice that we find the strength for change,” said Dora, NYU Film and Documentary senior student.

In June, UNDP published a report showing that gender biases remain entrenched in the last decade. The severe under-representation of women and “a broken link between women’s progres in education and economic empowerment,” are the causes of the stagnation cited in the agency’s report. Authors write that “Despite the continued prevalence of bias against women, the data shows change can happen.” Fordham students and United Student Government Representatives Fiona Shehu and Desara Murati expressed the view that “Liridona could have been any of the women in our lives” and “the way to address the issue is to focus on being advocates of change.”

A number of speakers pointed out at the stark contrast between Albanian women with incredible achievements in the music and tech/AI world, and the violent murders like Liridona Ademaj’s that has jolted the community. Harnessing public and personal outrage in order to encourage change in and around us was a view shared by protestors who joined the rally from all Albanian lands and all age groups. Lorik Berisha, Medical Student at New Jersey Medical School said that “we need to go from this senseless act to actively championing gender equality.”

Former NYC Council member and leading community activist, Mark Gjonaj energized the crowd with his remarks and chanting “We are few but speak for many.” “Today, we give voice to the voiceless and stand up for those who suffer in silence,” said Gjonaj.

“Advocacy work for all women and girls is the purpose of F’Oda – an initiative that was put in motion by six girls who came together last year,” said Djellza Pulatani. In the face of severe inequality, there are some encouraging sings “as the narrative is shifting and the conversation on gender based violence is gaining momentum,” she added.

F’Oda will host its second Summit for High School students in the summer of 2024. As the group continues to fight against all forms of gender inequality, its mission centers in empowering girls as well as equip them with resources and connections to empower others.

 Photo Credit F’oda