In memoriam - Ismail Kadare

Read David Bellos's obituary

Ismail Kadare has died, reported today in The Guardian. I am genuinely saddened by his death having read and enjoyed quite a few of his novels. I was always of the opinion that I didn't understand Balkan and Albanian history enough to have an informed opinion, so I can't speak to his importance in general, but to me he was an awakening of sorts as to the world of European history, much more so that any secondary education or tertiary history modules I've studied. Without him (and Bohumil Hrabal) I might never have found all those other superb Central European writers for whom I have such affection. Thank you Mr Kadare.

I am of the opinion that I am not a political writer, and, moreover, that as far as true literature is concerned, there actually are no political writers. I think that my writing is no more political than ancient Greek theatre. I would have become the writer I am in any political regime.