ILDIJE XHEMALI

ILDIJE XHEMALI was born in April 1952 in the city of Lushnja in Albania. She graduated in
1973 from "Aleksandër Xhuvani" University in the department of Albanian Language and
Literature. She worked as a teacher for 40 years in the cities of Lushnja and Elbasan.
Ildije Xhemali has published ten books of poetry in Albanian language including "Flowers on Gray
Hair," "The Petals of Soul," "In the Labyrinths of Life," "A Cloak of Love," etc. Her poems are part
of various anthologies published in Albania, Kosovo and Italy. Some of her poems have also been
translated into Italian and published in various journals and magazines.

IN THE PARADISE OF WINTER

I, too, felt like a snowflake
in that immense, white cloak,
my gaze stared at that whiteness,
my footsteps left traces everywhere.

The trees wrapped in the white coat,
the bench no longer felt lonely.
From somewhere arrived a rare
chirping of a forgotten bird.

Heaven and earth as never before
were at peace, receiving and giving
love. The silence was so deep, no
storms could be seen on the horizon.

I stood outside in a white landscape,
a warm feeling enveloped me.
All my emotions were awakening
As I experienced that rare beauty….

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY IRMA KURTI
IRMA KURTI is an Albanian poet, writer, lyricist, journalist, and translator and has been writing
since she was a child. She is a naturalized Italian and lives in Bergamo, Italy. All her books are
dedicated to the memory of her beloved parents, Hasan Kurti and Sherife Mezini, who have
supported and encouraged every step of her literary path.
Kurti has won numerous literary prizes and awards in Albania, Italy, Switzerland, USA, Philippines,
Lebanon and China. She was awarded the Universum Donna International Prize IX Edition 2013
for Literature and received a lifetime nomination as an Ambassador of Peace by the University of
Peace, Italian Switzerland. In 2020, she became the honorary president of WikiPoesia, the
encyclopedia of poetry. In 2021, she was awarded the title of Liria (Freedom) by the Italian-

Albanian community in Italy. She received the Leonardo da Vinci and Giacomo Leopardi prizes
from the Chimera Arte Contemporanea Cultural Association of Lecce.
The same association also honored her with the European Ambassador Award and named her the
Best Poet of the Year in 2022.
She received the Grazia Deledda medal and diploma of merit from the National Committee of
WikiPoesia on the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Italian poet. In 2023 she was awarded
a Career Award from the Universum Academy Switzerland.
Irma Kurti is a member of the jury for several literary competitions in Italy. She is also a translator
for the Ithaca Foundation in Spain.
Irma Kurti has published more than 100 works, including books of poetry, fiction and translations.
Irma Kurti is one of the most translated and published Albanian poets. Her books have been
translated and published in 20 countries.