Albanian Language Edition of Francisco Balagtas’ Florante at Laura Launched in Albania
ROME 23 April 2025 — Francisco Balagtas’ 1838 epic poem Florante at Laura, an epic poem set in the fictional Kingdom of Albania, may now be read by Albanians in their own language after the Albanian language edition was formally launched at the National Library of Albania on 15 April 2025.
The book launch was opened by the National Library Director Mr. Piro Misha and was graced by Albania’s Deputy Minister for Culture Lira Pipa as guest of honor. The event was held in cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation and the National Library through the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Tirana. Philippine Non-Resident Ambassador to Albania, Neal Imperial, read excerpts from the original Filipino language, while noted journalist and radio personality Ms. Elsa Ymeri read the Albanian translations.
The National Library will now house five (5) copies of the book, making it the first title by a Filipino author to be part of the library’s collection, a notable point in Philippines-Albania cultural relations. The books at the National Library will make the epic available to Albanians, increasing the accessibility of Filipino literature in Tirana.
The translation project was an initiative of the Philippine Embassy in Rome, which has jurisdiction over Albania, in collaboration with the National Book Development Board of the Philippines (NBDB).
The book’s publisher, Ombra Publishing, donated copies to guests at the event, which included Albanian academics, journalists and media personalities, writers, poets, publishers and members of the Filipino community in Albania. Notable guests were Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Philippine Honorary Consul Loritan Prespa and Consul LV de Guzman.
In his remarks at the event, Ambassador Imperial highlighted that the book holds the distinction of being the only poem in the Philippines that has not gone out of publication since its initial release in 1838. The audience was delighted to learn that the book is a required reading for Filipino high school students, introducing every Filipino student to Albania (The book title that many Filipinos recall is “The History of Florante and Laura in the Kingdom of Albania”).
“Thanks to this translation, Albanian readers can now explore the richness of Filipino literary heritage, and perhaps see echoes of their own stories and values in the characters of Florante and Laura. It is my hope that it will inspire curiosity about the Philippines’ culture, language, and our shared humanity,” said the Ambassador.
Through a translation grant by the NBDB, the book was published in Albania in April this year in partnership with Ombra Publishing house. A special edition will be published for the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, where the Philippines will be Guest of Honor. END
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