A Braid of Cultures – when the Albanian soul speaks Bulgarian

In the heart of Sofia, in the majestic building of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", a piece of the Albanian soul was revealed during the presentation of the novel "The Cut Braid" by the famous Albanian writer Majlinda Bregasi – a strong voice of Albanian literature, winner of several of the most prestigious literary awards in Kosovo and nominated for the European Prize for Literature.

Novel by Albanian writer Majlinda Bregasi translated into Bulgarian was presented in Sofia

This novel, which now also speaks Bulgarian, has been translated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Tarpomanova, and as Bregasi herself noted with a smile: "The book in Bulgarian is not only mine, it is also ours, because the translator is also the second author".

This is not the first time that Assoc. Prof. Ekaterina Tarpomanova, a former member of Radio Bulgaria's Albanian-language section, and the author have collaborated:

Ekaterina Tarpomanova and Majlinda Bregasi
"I can describe her style as very pleasant for me, for translation. She herself protests, but I still insist that Majlinda Bregasi has a feminine approach to writing, which is really visible when one translates. The first novel that we translated into Bulgarian – "Escape", was for me, at least as a translator, a little more difficult to translate from this point of view, that the story was a little fragmentary, with memories, moving back and forth and it was a little more difficult for a person to get into the plot itself, to make all the connections and of course, to convey them adequately in Bulgarian. But now, in the second novel, the plot is really very fascinating, very entertaining and the translation itself just went with ease," says Assoc. Prof. Tarpomanova in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.

According to her, the novel will be very well received by the Bulgarian audience, as it is very close in theme and plot to the Bulgarian people: "The Balkans have a common destiny, a common history, despite some specifics, things are quite close. That is why I hope that this novel will find its readers in Bulgaria as well".

The novel also attracts attention with its title - "The Cut Braid". According to the author, the relationship between a woman and her hair is spiritual, almost sacred:

"The care that a woman takes for her hair - imagine: she washes it carefully, lets it grow, braids it in braids... and at a certain moment, when she decides to cut her braid, it is like breaking away from the past, from herself, from her identity. This literary image best represents the novel, because here too we have a main character - a woman whose life is suddenly interrupted, just as the braid is cut", the author, Majlinda Bregasi, tells Radio Bulgaria.

"The Cut Braid" is a powerful Balkan novel about successes that lose their value the moment the deepest human bonds are severed. A novel about failures that heal, about wounds passed down through generations, about the silences that separate mothers from daughters, and about the pains that are passed on without even being spoken. At the center of the story are three women — a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter — who, in an attempt to survive, lose the most important connection to each other.

"The impetus to write the novel came precisely from the desire to fill this gap that forms in the communication between generations. The novel presents three generations: grandmother, mother and daughter. I myself am both someone's daughter and someone's mother, that is, I am in the middle. I clearly notice the gap that exists, and how often major misunderstandings arise from it. I think that if we knew each other better, if we tried to look deeper into the world of our parents, we would behave differently. And also, if the children knew their parents' past better - then they would treat us differently," the writer shares.

In the book, Majlinda Bregasi also touches on one of the most painful topics of the contemporary Balkans - leaving one's homeland and breaking away from one's roots in search of success in the West. She herself also lives and works abroad, but how difficult is it to maintain a connection with one's homeland when you are far from it?

"It's even harder for an author because the first tool he or she uses is language. When you live away from your country for a long time, the first thing you start to lose is language. You feel like you're acquiring a new identity — you're not the same person anymore. Even if you live in your homeland, this can happen, but when you're in another country, things get even more complicated. That's why I insist on writing in Albanian — and I will continue to do so, even if sometimes I feel like my Albanian is "shrinking". But there's nothing better than writing in your own language, because it's your language," says Bregasi. She also says that it's extremely important for a work to be presented honestly abroad — so that the reader gets to know only the book, not the name or influence of the author. In her opinion, literature should be above personal connections and self-promotion, especially when it presents the language and culture of a people.

The presentation of the book "The Cut Braid" in Sofia was attended by many guests, including the representative of the Embassy of Kosovo in Sofia, Bujar Deskaj, as well as professors and students from Sofia University, including students from the "Balkan Studies" department, where Albanian language and literature are studied. The students showed great interest, especially when the author spoke in her native language, and managed to have a warm and friendly conversation with her. The questions and curiosity about the meeting showed that young Bulgarian readers are ready to welcome this new voice from Kosovo - sincere, deep and, above all, human.

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"To say I'm excited is an understatement. Especially regarding the students — they are so young, so interested and informed about literature and Albania. They want to get to know an author I don't think they've ever heard of in their lives. I was very impressed by the questions they asked. This is probably the most exciting presentation of my life," shared the author.

This has been Majlinda Bregasi's first visit to Sofia, but it certainly won't be her last. She admitted that she came unprepared, but she discovered not only a beautiful city but also a city rich in history, and left with very good impressions, weaving a new "braid" of human, cultural and emotional connections in her mind.

Majlinda Bregasi with Konstandina Bello from Radio Bulgaria

Majlinda Bregasi ended her interview for Radio Bulgaria with a message to all of us in the Balkans and beyond:

"I would like us to love each other more, to listen to each other and get to know each other better – because only by knowing each other better can we truly love each other. And I hope to promote the values of our art, culture and history."

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Photos: Plamen Totev, BTA

English publication: R. Petkova