Literature that brings us together: Albanian school projects

Students of Italian from various schools in Albania lead two projects in Italian dedicated to Italian literature. Two initiatives that, in these difficult times of distance and isolation we are going through, have worked towards creating bonds.

The first initiative arose through collaboration with the Italian editorial staff of the site assaggiodilibri – led by the Lombardy association mediaeducation Micromacchina-comunicare la società: the aim of the site is to offer recommendations for reading with audio-review podcasts made directly by the students, promoting the creative use of new media and encouraging young people to read.
The students at the bilingual schools of Tirana and Korça have created a local Italian group, starting with reading and commentary on the fables of Gianni Rodari on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the great children’s author. The project continued with the creation of a multicultural radio podcast, in which students from the bilingual schools talk about their passion for reading, for the Italian language and for Italian cities. The lively and colourful dialogues include the exchange of reading recommendations and more between Albanian and Italian peers.

‘We believe,’ said Lucia Cucciarelli, Director of the School Office at the Embassy of Italy in Tirana, ‘that Assaggio di Libri – Antenna Albania Branch promotes Italian language learning in an innovative way, using digital media and peer education and focusing on the passion for reading that builds intercultural bridges.’

The students at high schools in the three Italian sections of Shkodra, Korça and Tirana instead took part in the Booktrailer 2020 competition, promoted by the publishing house Mimesis, co-funded by the European Union and dedicated to improving knowledge of European linguistic and cultural diversity. The students were required to read and select the Italian translations of novels that are representative of contemporary European literary styles from minority groups and languages, in order to offer an insight into cultural realities that are less well-known, but equally important in the construction of our common European home. After analysing the books, the students created trailers, short summaries in video format, with the aim of promoting the works without revealing the details. The proposed titles ranged from the Hungarian literary avant-garde to Macedonian, Estonian and Albanian literature. The winning project was the book trailer by the students at Scutari High School for the book ‘L’epica delle stelle del mattino’ by Rudi Erebara, translated by Edmond Çali. Set in Albania during the time of the Cold War, it tells the story of a painter persecuted by the communist regime and provides a reflection on the futility of violence, the instrument of oppression common to all forms of totalitarianism.