Albanian Authors

Agim VINCA

Agim Vinca (b. 1947) is a leading poetry critic and poet from Veleshta near Struga in Macedonia whose popular lyrical verse is firmly anchored in the soil of his place of birth and of his childhood. He finished school in Struga on Lake Ohrid and studied Albanian language and literature at the University of Prishtina where he taught contemporary literature until expelled in September 1991 by the Serbian military. Vinca is the author of the verse collections Feniksi, Skopje 1972 (The phoenix); Shtegu i mallit, Prishtina 1975 (The path of nostalgia); Në vend të biografisë, Tirana 1977 (In lieu of a biography); Buzëdrinas, Prishtina 1984 (Inhabitant of the lower Drin); Arna dhe ëndrra, Prishtina 1987 (Patches and dreams); Kohë e keqe për lirikën, Prishtina 1997 (Bad times for poetry); Dri', Tirana 1999 (Dri’). He has also published noted monographs of criticism, in particular Struktura e poezisë së sotme shqipe (1945-1980), Prishtina 1985 (The structure of contemporary Albanian poetry 1945-1980), Orët e poezisë, Prishtina 1990 (The poetry hours); Alternativa letrare shqiptare, Skopje 1995 (Albanian literary alternative). He teaches literature in Prishtina.