The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE recommends an impressive impersonation of Bob Dylan
Albania the enigma
HENRY BELL is intrigued by an account of Albania that grapples with the changing nature of history and memory
The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE reviews Here, Vermiglio, William Tell and Wolf Man
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Emphasising his continuous engagement in labour movement struggles, ALISTAIR FINDLAY salutes John Foster’s contribution as activist, strategist, intellectual and defender of the Morning Star
ANDY MIAH advocates the use of AI to assist people by expanding access to global literature and culture
EWAN KOTZ relishes a veteran Glasgow band that have lost none of their verve for live performance
Enver Hoxha’s Long Shadow – Travels in Albania
John Watkins, Signal Press, £14.99
ALBANIA is an anomalous and perplexing country to many outside of it: a heartland of European Islam and long an atheist country, dominated by a language that has no close relatives, geographically a wild mix of forest, mountain and sandy beaches, but firmly associated with brutalist cities, heavy industry and metal mining.
Surrounded by the tumultuous history of Greek and Balkan nations, Albania has remained apart through the centuries. Both despite and because of its long domination by the Ottomans, then the Italians and the Nazis, it has forged a strong and unique national identity. Yet its people are spread around the world, with more Albanians in the diaspora than living in the country.
Albania remains perhaps the most exotic place in Europe.
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