Bilal Xhaferri

Bilal Xhaferri, real name Bilal Xhaferr Hoxha, 2 November 1935 – 14 October 1986, (or 10 May 1935 - 22 August 1986,) was an Albanian poet and novelist, and a political dissident against the Albanian communist regime. He was born in Ninat, Konispol in southern Albania, and died in Chicago, USA.

Bilal Xhaferri grew up in Albania and published his first pieces of poetry and short stories in various journals in 1962-1963. He was a grandnephew of the philosopher Hasan Tahsini. His father was shot by the partisans at the end of World War II, due to his support and sympathy for Balli Kombëtar. In memory of his father, Bilal carried the last name Xhaferri instead of the family name Hoxha. During his youth he did several random jobs while showing a passion for poetry. His first book publication were "Rrugë dhe fate", (English: Roads and fates), and "Njerëz të rinj, tokë e lashtë", (English: Young people, ancient land), published in 1963 and 1967. A novel, Krastakraus, was written in 1967 but only published posthumously in 1993.

His position would decline fast after a debate with Ismail Kadare, for the last one's novel "Dasma" (The wedding). His family biography would pop up in the eyes of the communist censorship, and since then he would be a target. In 1968 he was prohibited from further publishing, and in 1969 he escaped to Greece and a year later to the USA. In 1974 he founded the emigrant Albanian magazine Krahu i Shqiponjës (English: The Eagle's Wing), which published literary and anti-communist political material. He would be target of dubious attacks, possibly from the Sigurimi agents, and died in 1986, while being hospitalized for a surgery, allegedly from Sigurimi agents in cooperation with a local Serbian doctor.

After the end of the communist regime in Albania, he was posthumously honored by the President of the Albanian Republic with the title Martyr of Democracy in 1995, "for his dedication as publicist and dissident politician in the fight against communism and dictatorship, for his deep national and democratic aspiration". On May 6, 1995, the Albanian government, in cooperation with the Bilal Xhaferri Cultural Association, made possible to rebury him in Saranda.

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