Aleks Çaçi

Aleks Çaçi (Caci) (born 15 August, 1916 in the village of Palase of Himara) is an Albanian author.

Early life

The year of his birth is source of controversy (some say he was born two years earlier), and as for his family origins, it is believed that his forefathers were originally from the city of Kruja and were soldiers under the legendary command of the Albanian Hero Scanderbeg. Apparently they moved in the south in an attempt to go to Italy along with many people that moved as a result of the Ottoman invasion. Furthermore it is known that Himara was the only region to pay a high price to the Ottomans in order to stay independent which is why it's culture is probably the most genuine one that the ancient world has to offer.

As a result of his very poor family he started to work at a very early stage of his life. He worked in printing offices of the time while working the land at the same time. Aleks finished the Trade School of Vlora and the Institute of High Trade (Business would be the equivalent of today) in Greece. After the liberation he finished the school of the regime "Vladimir Ilic Lenin". He was among the early and young authors of the realist literature of the 30's, as well as a member of the Komunist Group of Korça.

Career

As a result of his revolutionary activities as well as his writings, in 1936 he was isolated in the city of Berat for two years by King Zogu's regime. He was an active member of the war for independence. Since the early days of the organization he worked in the editing group of "Kushtrimi i Lirise"(Dying for Freedom) where he published many articles, poems and prozes. Aleks Çaçi was also in charge of another newspaper, "Trumpeta Clirimtare" (The Freedom Trumpet) that used to be published in wartime in the Kurvelesh region in south Albania.

After the war he worked in many newspapers and literary magazines. For work and creative merits he was awarded by the Congress of that time with the order of "Flamuri i Kuq i Punes"(Red flag of work) of the First Order. He published many books and worked in "Lidhia e Shkrimtareve" (The league of writers) until his death in 1989. Towards the 80's he retired in a smart fashion from the political life in Albania which was eating more and more intellectual heads for the pleasures of Enver Hoxha. He carefully managed to write in a critic way yet saving himself. In many ways people have argued that Hoxha couldn't do anything against his figure since he was amongst the first 50 or 80 founding members of the party and his elimination would have given rise to more troubles for Hoxha's regime. Towards the end of his life he became more and more sick about the corruption that was eating up Albania and the distorted notions of the ideal communism that were being applied there.

With his friends he translated many books from Ancient Greek, Modern Greek and Italian into Albanian. He is widely known in Greece and Italy and his figure is an example of an Albanian intellectual and nationalist that is revered in all that area which few people have managed to do. This might be because of his birthplace (which is in a highly contested area between Greeks and Albanians), but the fact is that Greeks and Albanians find in him an inspiring figure because he never hated anyone, but dedicated his entire life for the freedom of his beloved country.

ee also

*Albanian literature