Esad Mekuli ( sr-cyrl, Есад Мекули; 17 December 1916, – 6 August 1993) was an Albanian poet, critic and translator. He was the first president of the

Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo The Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo ( sq, Akademia e Shkencave dhe e Arteve e Kosovës, la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Kosoviensis) is the national academy of Kosovo. History & Organization The Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo ...

Robert Elsie Robert Elsie (June 29, 1950 – October 2, 2017) was a Canadian-born German scholar who specialized in Albanian literature and folklore. Elsie was a writer, translator, interpreter, and specialist in Albanian studies, being the author of numerou ...

considered him the father of modern Albanian poetry in

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, and his influence in Kosovo remains immense.

Biography

Esad Mekuli was born in Plav to Haxhi Hoxhë Smajl Ademi of the Mekuli brotherhood in Nokshiq (sk. ''Novšiće''). After finishing the local primary school, Mekuli studied in

Pejë Peja ( Indefinite Albanian form: ''Pejë'' ) or Peć ( sr-Cyrl, Пећ ) is the fourth largest city of Kosovo and seat of Peja Municipality and Peja District. It is situated in the region of Rugova on the eastern section of the Accursed Mount ...

, graduating in 1936. He then registered in the faculty of

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

at the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-ba ...

. There he came in contact with Marxist circles, and was a veteran of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

; for his political activity he was arrested in 1940. He was released in April 1941 after the declaration of amnesty. He began working in Peć as a veterinarian and was arrested again by the Italian army in 1942 for being suspected of having connections with the resistance movement. After his release, he joined the partisan forces in 1943 and became the editor of illegal partisan newspaper ''"Lirija"'' (Freedom). After World War II he continued to work as a veterinarian, as well as the editor of the only legal Albanian newspaper of Kosovo "Rilindja" (Rebirth). In 1949 he founded the literary magazine ''"Jeta e Re"'' (New Life) and remained its

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

until 1971. He also wrote and cooperated with many newspapers in Serbia (especially Kosovo), Montenegro and Croatia. He was the first head of the Kosovo Writers' Association and the first head of the

. His works also include translations of Yugoslav literature into Albanian, such as that of Montenegrin poet

Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Petar II Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyrl, Петар II Петровић-Његош, ; – ), commonly referred to simply as Njegoš (), was a Prince-Bishop (''vladika'') of Montenegro, poet and philosopher whose works are widely considered ...

, and Serbian translations of Albanian literature. His pen names include Sat Nokshiqi and Sat Hoxha. He died in

Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians an ...

on August 6, 1993. Esad was married to Sehadete Mekuli, gynecologist, public figure, and inspiration for the character ''Teuta Shkreli'' in

Ismail Kadare Ismail Kadare (; spelled Ismaïl Kadaré in French; born on 28 January 1936) is an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and playwright. He is a leading international literary figure and intellectual. He focused on poetry until the pu ...

's 1985 novel ''Krushqit jane te ngrire'' (The Wedding Procession Turned to Ice).

Works

* Për ty (For You) – Pristina, (1955) * Dita e re (New Day) – Pristina, (1966) * Avsha Ada (Avsha Ada) – (1971) * Vjersha (Poetries) – (1973) * Brigjet (Shores) – (1981) * Rini e kuqe (Red Youth) – Pristina, (1984) * Në mes të dashurisë dhe urrejtjes (Between love and hate) – Tiranë, (1986) * Dita që nuk shuhet (The day which doesn't extinguish) – Pristina, (1989)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mekuli, Esad Albanian-language writers Serbian–Albanian translators Albanian–Serbian translators Albanian-language poets University of Belgrade Faculty of Veterinary Medicine alumni People from Plav, Montenegro 1916 births 1993 deaths 20th-century translators 20th-century poets Yugoslav Albanians Yugoslav poets