Three-Arched Bridge

Ismail Kadare, born in 1936 in the mountain town of Gjirokaster, near the Greek border, is Albania's best-known poet and novelist. Since the appearance of The General of the Dead Army in 1965, Kadare has published scores of stories and novels that make up a panorama of Albanian history linked by a constant meditation on the nature and human consequences of dictatorship. His works brought him into frequent conflict with the authorities from 1945 to 1985. In 1990 he sought political asylum in France, and now divides his time between Paris and Tirana. He is the winner of the first ever Man Booker International Prize.

"A vivid, macabre and wise novel" New York Times "His ability to spin eerie parables out of a little-known national history makes his books an addictive pleasure" -- Jonathan Romney Independent on Sunday "A compelling investigation into language and myth, politics and power, by the renowned, infinitely talented Albanian novelist" Booklist "[Kadare] is seemingly incapable of writing a book that fails to be interesting" New York Times "In Ismail Kadare's fictional worlds creation and destruction are entwined, and how he illuminates the human cost of their varied pairings is the source of his greatness as a writer" Chicago Tribune