A public dialogue took place today at the Academy of Sciences in Tirana. Writers Visar Zhiti and Stefan Çapaliku took part. Journalist Beti Njuma moderated the discussion.
First, Çapaliku opened the debate. He described the relationship between writers and society as problematic. He said writers rarely feel comfortable with society. He also said society rarely feels comfortable with writers.
Then, he expanded his view across history. He explained Albanian literature from 1555 to today. He said this tension has always existed.
Next, he referred to early Albanian literature. He mentioned Pjetër Bogdani. He said Bogdani was one of the first writers to criticize society.
After that, he moved to the National Renaissance period. He identified two groups of writers. Some lived abroad. Others lived in Albania but remained economically independent. He mentioned clerical writers such as Fishta and Mjeda.
Then, he discussed the communist period. He highlighted persecuted writers, including Visar Zhiti. He also mentioned socialist realism authors. He said they adapted their work to the regime.
Afterwards, he described the present time. He called it a “post-Kadarean era.” He said it has just begun. He also said the environment is not friendly to writers. He pointed to social media pressure, economic insecurity, and information overload.
Meanwhile, Zhiti focused on artificial intelligence. He said humans still need meaning. He also said humans need emotion.
Furthermore, he explained the difference between science and literature. He said science explains reality. He said literature gives deeper understanding of human life.
In addition, he said writers are not above doctors or farmers. However, he said writers are irreplaceable. He stressed that emotions like love, loss, and pain cannot be replaced by machines.
Finally, he referred to his recent poetry. He quoted a verse about speaking human words before artificial intelligence does.
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