Drago Siliqi

Drago Siliqi (9 June 1930 – 13 July 1963) was an Albanian poet, literary critic, and publisher. At the age of 14 he became a scout and then a partisan of the National Liberation Movement. He published his first collection of poetry, and then pursued university studies at the Maxim Gorky Literature Institute in Moscow.

After he returned to Albania from his studies, he became an editor and, later, a publisher and literary critic at the state owned Naim Frashëri Publishing House. There, he encouraged writers such as Ismail Kadare through his literary reviews. He also led the company to publish more translations of foreign literary works into Albanian through the hiring of affirmed writers. Siliqi died in 1963, at the age of 33, on board Aeroflot Flight 12 which crashed near Irkutsk, Soviet Union.

Life Drago Siliqi was born on June 9, 1930, in Tirana, Albania, from an Albanian family (Siliqi) originally from Shkodër. Nephew of the Albanian National Awakening activist and poet Risto Siliqi, in 1944 Drago became a scout and then a partisan of the National Liberation Movement.

After graduating, he returned to Albania and then, during 1957-1963 he worked as editor and then director of the Naim Frashëri Publishing House, where, as a literary critic, he was key into helping fully develop as writers some of the most notable post-World Albanian authors, such as Ismail Kadare, Dritëro Agolli, Fatos Arapi, Petro Marko, , , and . He encouraged and assisted Ismail Kadare to write The General of the Dead Army.

As a literary critic Siliqi is remembered to have rejected formalism, and Russian formalism in particular. Contrary to formalism practices, in his writings he would analyze by including a combination of his comments on both content and societal influence, as well as discourse and forms. Several authors and critics have expressed their thoughts that Siliqi's critique was deep, yet he would be always open in discussing his ideas and had a positive attitude on an entire generation of young authors to express themselves in elevated forms of art. He was also daring enough to express very positive notes on The Highland Lute, an Albanian national epic poem, by Gjergj Fishta, although the work had been banned in Albania at that time, due to anti-Slavic rhetoric.

Literary works Anthology of the Russian-Soviet poetry , Tiranë, Naim Frashëri, 1959. New song for the old love (Poem) , Tiranë, Naim Frashëri, 1960. The birth of spring: poetry for teenagers . Tirana, Naim Frashëri, 1965. When the heart speaks: chosen poetry . Tiranë, SHA Kartografike, 2000. Searching the novelty: Articles and literary studies , Tiranë, SHA Kartografike, 2000.