The Academy of Sciences commemorated writer, publicist, and patriot Haki Stërmilli on the anniversary of his birth.
Stërmilli was born on May 17, 1895, in Dibër e Madhe. He studied in Manastir but could not finish school due to the Balkan Wars. After Dibra was left outside Albania’s borders, he moved to Albania and worked in public administration.
He served in several administrative roles between 1915 and 1918 and later became involved in Albania’s democratic movements. He also held high administrative positions in the early 1920s and is considered one of the first heads of the Albanian secret service.
Stërmilli lived in exile in several European countries due to political conflicts and later returned to continue his intellectual and political activity. He participated in major national events and collaborated with important figures of Albanian history.
During World War II, he joined anti-fascist efforts and took part in the Mukje Conference. After the war, he was elected deputy for Dibra but refused to join the Communist Party, remaining committed to democratic ideals.
He is best known for his novel Sikur të isha djalë (1936), a landmark work in Albanian literature focused on women’s rights and social emancipation. The novel has been widely reprinted across Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
Stërmilli also wrote plays, documentary works, and wartime diaries, leaving a strong legacy in Albanian literature and political thought. He died in Tirana in 1953.
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