Aurel Plasari


Aurel Plasari is an Albanian, Aromanian origin, lecturer, scholar, writer, translator and professor.

Early life and education

Plasari was born in Tirana, where he completed all levels of his education. At the age of seventeen, while still in high school, Plasari began to publish translations from world literature.

Career

After graduating from secondary school, he fulfilled compulsory military service and, as for several years his right to pursue higher education was denied for "biographical" reasons, he started work at the most basic level of the press, as a copy-editor in the typography for "Mihal Duri".
From 1982 he worked as literary editor at the magazine "Nëntori", an organ of the Writers and Artists' Union of Albania. After graduation in 1989 he worked as an editor of translated literature, and later in 1990 as secretary of the editorial board, at the same magazine.
Beginning in 1990 he was invited to become a part-time lecturer at the University of Tirana's Faculty of History and Philology. In 1991 he completed a postgraduate specialization at "Alcalá" University in Madrid, Spain, and in 1992 he became a full-time lecturer at the Faculty of History and Philology, where he also held the position of vice dean. In 1994 he obtained a doctoral degree in Comparative Literature, the first doctorate in this field in the country.
Plasari was a lecturer and doctoral fellow for university subjects such as "History of Aesthetics" and "Principles of Aesthetics", as well as for special courses "Introduction to Narratology", "Theory of Reception", etc. In 1995 he was recognized as an "Associate Professor", and from 1995 to 1996 was a guest lecturer at Inalco, Paris. Returning to Albania, he continued to work at the Faculty of History and Philology until 1998, when he was invited to become director of the National Library of Albania, a post he still held in 2014. Since 2010 he has held the title of "Professor". In the Master's Course of Library Science's Second Level, organized for the first time in the Albanian education system, he has developed the new subject "Introduction to Albanology".
From 1990 until 2014 he engaged in national and international scientific-academic activities, lecturing and attending conferences in the US, Kosovo, Italy, France, Spain, Romania, Greece, Austria, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Macedonia.
Plasari headed the new edition of the cultural magazine "Hylli i Dritës" in 1993–1997, and wrote frequently in the free Albanian press, including the newspaper "Rilindja Demokratike" from its first issue, writing in various fields of culture, but also on policy. Beginning in 1990, some editions of Fishta, Merxhani, Harapi, and Beduli have been prepared by him; he also directed the series "Intelligenda", with various Albano-Balkanological's contributors, including Jorga, Jirecek, Gelcich, Suliotti, Londres, Konica, Nadin, and Xhufi.
In the field of cultural activities he has led some national juries, and has participated as member in national and international juries. In 2012 he was member of Interministerial Committee of Celebration of Proclamation of Independence's 100th Anniversary.

Published books and works

In Albanian

italic=no, Tiranë 1990
Vija e Teodosit rishfaqet, Tiranë 1993; T. 1995
Letërsia dhe muret, Tiranë 1993
Anton Harapi Redimensus, Tiranë 1994
Kuteli midis të gjallëve e të vdekurve, Tiranë 1995
Fishta i dashuruari, Tiranë 1996
Plani i fshehtë për një Internacionale të re, Tiranë 1996
Përballë një kulture të vdekjes, Tiranë 1997
Biopolitika: ekziston në Shqipëri? Tiranë 1999
Fenomeni Voskopojë, Tiranë 2000
Dhjetë ditë që nuk tronditën botën, Tiranë 2001
Lufta e Trojës vazhdon, Tiranë 2002
Rrëmbimi i Europës, Tiranë 2005
Alfabete në Bibliotekë, Tiranë 2008
Skënderbeu: një histori politike, Tiranë 2010

Published abroad

Saint Jerôme – fils d'Illyrie, Tirana 1990
La linea di Teodosio torna a dividere, Bari 1998; Bari 2000
The Line of Theodosius reappears, New York 2001
Il ratto dell'Europa, Bari 2009

Translations from world literature

L. Hughes, italic=no, T. 1976
J. L. Caragiale, Një letër e humbur, T. 1977
H. Smirnenski, Të bëhet dritë, T. 1977
italic=no, T. 1978
A. Jozsef, Shoku pyll, buçit, T. 1979
Muzat në vitin e luftës, T. 1980
Poetë francezë, T. 1980
A. Mizkiewicz, Vjersha dhe poema, T. 1980
F. García Lorca, Jerma, T. 1982
F. García Lorca, Dasmë gjaku, T. 1985
Tregime e novela të shek. XX, T. 1983
G. García Márquez, Gjethurinat, T. 1986, Prishtinë 1988
G. García Márquez, Kolonelit s'ka kush t'i shkruajë, T. 1986, Prishtinë 1988
G. García Márquez, Një histori me paskuinë, T. 1986, Prishtinë 1988
G. García Márquez, Kronikë e një vdekjeje të paralajmëruar, T. 1986, Prishtinë 1988; T.1999
italic=no, T. 1988
J. Cortázar, Autostrada e Jugut, T. 1988, Prishtinë1989
F. Dostoiewski, Net të bardha, T. 1990, T. 1995; T. 1999
Poetë spanjollë të shekullit XX, T. 1991
M. Sorescu, Një flatër dhe një këmbë, T. 1993
J. Cortázar, Armët e fshehta, T. 1999
O. Fallaci, Mllefi dhe krenaria, T. 2001
A. Ahmatova, Përzitje, T. 2003
A. Ahmatova, Poezi, T. 2009
I. Montanelli, Shqipëria një dhe njëmijë, T. 2003; T. 2005
C. Malaparte, Teknika e grushtit të shtetit, T. 2006

Awards, orders and honors

2012, Gratitude of Albanian Parliament In 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of Albania
2009, Certificate of Gratitude, National and University Library of Kosovo
2008, "Order of Merit of the Italian Republic",
2005, Award "Best Practice", first edition, For National Library's Leadership, Junior Chamber Italiana / Junior Chamber International
2003, Award "Serembe", For the book "Lufta e Trojës vazhdon", "Serembe" Foundation
2000, Award "Penda e Argjendtë", For the book's translation "Armët e fshehta", Julio Cortazar, Ministry of Culture
1993, Award "The best literary translation", For the book "Një flatër dhe një këmbë", Marin Sorescu, Ministry of Culture
1989, Order "Naim Frashëri", "For special contribution as well as high artistic level in the field of literary translations", Presidum of the People's Assembly of Albania