Petrit Ruka, one of most celebrated lyrical poets in the Albanian literature, was awarded the honorific title “Doctor Honoris Causa” for his prominent contribution through poetic creativity. Addressing the title awarding ceremony, Prime Minister Edi Rama said:
It is either for the very first time or I don’t remember any other occasion when I have accepted an invitation to attend a ceremony of this kind and I would apologize to anyone for not attending other similar gatherings, but the reason for my absence in such ceremonies has to do with the fact that I feel somewhat timid or fearful to hear speeches like the one they had prepared for me to read here and which included the following sentence:
“For incredible intellectual dimensions, wonderfully written screenplays, short and animated films featuring immortal characters, as well as a whole of creativity raised beyond the ready-made scenes dictated by the circumstances.”
Taking notice of the fact that I was not given the opportunity – as it is mostly the case – to memorize and know my speech by heart, in order for me not to remain speechless here, I picked a few words written by man for whom we have come together and then I will reveal the reason why I am here today. Poets, wicked people, states always curse them, treat them like women, fight and disunite them, then write songs and again start crying for them.
It is a little, but sure enough, dear Petrit, that I am here not to disunite you from nobody, just like I feel happy, at least to date, that I haven’t happened to scold or quarrel with a poet, but it may certainly happen. It may happen for the fact that we live in a country where the honour to the name of a writer, poet, artist, a personality is randomly granted and it is my feeling that whoever does this honor, he or she indeed tries to glorify their own selves, taking advantage of the prominent personality they are honouring. I came here because, for the sake of truth, Petrit Ruka is definitely a poet, writer, screenwriter, but he is also a special being in the community of our culture and arts. And he is an author you cannot find as easily as it is the case with the famed ones. Celebrities are of all kinds, from celebrities of the type that deserves fame to celebrities of the type who have undeserved fame, or to celebrities of the type whose fame is sponsored, stimulated, self-created. Petrit is not famous. He is an author who, if the space where the contemporary art and culture product would be described as a bazaar, then you wouldn’t find it in a bazaar, but instead you should go in person to his house and patiently wait to find his books among the completely usual home furniture and there is a lot of quite common furniture in all this bazaar and this neighborhood of artists and authors of all kinds, which are showcased in all shapes and makes it even harder to find the works by Petrit Ruka. For the sake of truth, if you were to ask me how many titles I can include in his works, for sure I would name a few of them, a lot less than anyone else who would not spare all the praise for him. Most extraordinary is that you find the verses, especially the verses, but also other works by Petrit Ruka, being sorted out and appearing before your eyes suddenly, after you have sorted them our and going through them, wishing to come back again.
He is the most inappropriate author to become famous, but I am convinced that he is one of those authors who will be there over generations and when the names of the other celebrities will fade away, their works and their fame will definitely be forgotten. Many of the celebrities, not everyone of course, and to honour this kind of very special author, it would probably be useful that through this improvised speech here I tell you that I have met Petrit probably only once. He may recall that we have met each other twice, but he is not actually a man like like every other famous people and in this respect, well seated on his stone and given in a way that is felt in every verse of him, in every one of his works, unconditionally to his creativity, making you figure out that it is about an author who places little importance to himself, and even less importance to his own name.
I am not familiar with his daily life, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if I were to find out he subsists on few things, while consistently creating both genuine and original values, so original and resourceful linked to many things that, even we may not know, still feel they are part of this society, part of this community, as a conveyer and a messenger of a history that will go on even when we will be gone, so that the title is not only deserved, but it is as deserved as it may seem like it’s not an added value for him, considering how many people in this country have been awarded honorific titles. Being among title-holders and be a title-laureate, which may be absolutely a deserved one, just like in this case, can sometimes be a kind of embarrassment, but this is an embarrassment that I would gladly leave Petrit to bear. I wish him every success in living with such an embarrassment.
In his being and in his biography about him as an author, and not as a person, there is, in my opinion, a very special typology. Not because he is the only and the first one seeking to expand to all domains, or to all domains where an author ventures out through his words, but because there is an incredibly transformative capacity in his being, experimenting from a genre to another and giving every genre something that is truly original and really admirable.
I should probably cut it shorter – I am sorry but I am not used to short speeches – but I would like to sincerely wish Petrit to go on and have as much energy, as much time, as much desire to continue to be the one who is on this earth which, as Petrit says, is a theatre of tragedies where all are at once playwrights and actors and where there are no spectators, no prompters and no directors.
It will remain to be seen –I will hopefully be provided the opportunity to hold a conversation with Petrit – whether the earth is the stage of tragedies or comedies, or both, but it is for sure an earth, as Petrit describes it, where even crows go grey while waiting. Petrit is white today. I am convinced he was not expecting to be awarded this title, so he is not tired of waiting for this title. It came without waiting, I wish him to enjoy it even though I am convinced that one day something would surely be written and for this day, today. I hope that you won’t include me in the comedy as one of the characters of this day. Thank you!
