Rifat Kukaj (25 October 1938 – 11 September 2005) was a

Kosovar Albanian The Albanians of Kosovo ( sq, Shqiptarët e Kosovës, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovar/Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars/Kosovans, constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. Kosovo Albanians belong to the ethnic Albanian sub- ...

and a successful writer in

Albanian literature Albanian literature stretches back to the Middle Ages and comprises those literary texts and works written in Albanian. It may also refer to literature written by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora particularly in Italy. Alb ...

for grown ups and children.

Life

Kukaj was born in Tërstenik

Drenas Drenas, also known as Gllogoc or Glogovac, is a town and municipality in central Kosovo. As of the 2011 census, there were 6,143 people residing in Drenas and 58,531 in the municipality. History The municipality of Drenas was established be ...

in the

Republic of Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Europ ...

. He was educated in Drenica and

Prishtina 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 and ...

. He worked for three years in Drenica as a teacher before moving to work in Radio Pristina as an editor for culture, more specifically the editor of programmes for children. Since 1975 he worked in the editorial staff of the Publishing House "Rilindja" as editor for children literature. He died at the age of 67 on 11 September 2005, in the Albanian town of

Ulqin Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coas ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

Works

Rifat Kukaj has published over forty books. His best novels are "''Bardhi e Mirushja''", "''Rrasa e zogut''", "''Shkrepi i diellit''", "''Lepuri me pesë këmbë''", "''Vjollca magjike''", "''Zogu i bardhë''", "''Kokërrmeli e pilivesa''", "''Gjeli në kuvertë''", "''Xhuxhi nga xhuxhishta''". Rifat Kukaj is best known for his poems for children. He has published the following volumes of poems for children: "''Gjerdani i blertë''", "''Lejlekët në luhaja''", "''Vallja e kallinjve''", "''Deti u bëftë kos''", "''Çka fshin dhelpra me bisht''", "''Pshurrani i gjyshit''", "''Shtegu i laureshave''", "''Trimëritë e karkalecit''", "''Zogu i Lasgushit''". He has also published many volumes of stories, among others: "''Harmonika''", "''Përqafimet e njoma''", "''Rrëfenjëza''", "''Ujku me kamerë''", "''Djaloshi i zjarreve''", "''Elefanti që fluturonte''". He was very well known for his unique humor and was widely perceived as the pioneer of urban humor culture. Among his best volumes of poetry of the grown ups are: "''Nusja''", "''Qafa e Ujkonjës''", "''Njeriu që nuk mund të vdiste''". Rifat Kukaj has written over thirty works dramatised as radiodrama, drama, theatrical acts and so on. He wrote the script for the following films: *''Lepuri me pesë këmbë'' (1982) *''Qesh e ngjesh'' (1982) (TV) *''2 plus'' (1981) (mini) TV Series *''Gëzuar viti i ri'' (1976) (TV) *''Bujku'' (1973) (TV) Rifak Kukaj has also translated a number of books from Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian to Albanian. He was the winner of a great number of awards and prizes for literature, among which: * "''Ismajl Qemajl Vlora''" -

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foo ...

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

* "''Oton Zhupaniçiç''" -

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

* "''Ivan Goran Kovaçiq''" -

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

* "''Neven''" - Belgrade,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

* "''Zmaj''" -

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...

, Serbia * "''Shpërblimi i dhjetorit''", - Pristina, Kosovo * "''Shpërblimi i nëntorit''" - Pristina, Kosovo * "''Ganimete Tërbeshi''" - Pristina, Kosovo.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kukaj, Rifat 1938 births Kosovan writers 2005 deaths Children's poets People from Drenas