Exclusive for Votra Magazine: An Insightful Interview Exploring the Life and Craft of Pal Ndrecaj, a Modern Literary Voice
In this exclusive interview for Votra Magazine, we have the privilege of speaking with Pal Ndrecaj, a distinguished modern writer whose work bridges the gap between tradition and innovation. Pal’s passion for storytelling and his reflections on the craft of writing offer readers a unique glimpse into the mind of a literary creator.
From his earliest inspiration as a child immersed in books to his thoughts on character development, universal themes, and the role of literature in promoting peace and humanity, Pal Ndrecaj’s insights are a masterclass in the art of writing. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a lover of literature, this conversation will inspire you to see the written word as a powerful tool for connection, transformation, and legacy.
Question: What inspired you to start writing?
P. N.: Talking about the origins of your writing is like talking about the origins of the world—it’s difficult to pinpoint a single cause for such an inner drive. I believe in an internal energy that guided me toward this path, an energy that perhaps no one has fully explained. Yet, we can always say something about it.
Personally, I read extensively in elementary school—novels, plays, poetry. I was particularly fascinated by the biographies of writers, their lives, their relationships, and everything that shaped them. This fascination made me see writers as something divine. Through this admiration for what I considered a divine craft, the desire to become a writer myself must have emerged. However, I can’t fully explain how this desire took shape—it happened imperceptibly.
I do remember the moment it burst forth. I was in eighth grade, visiting a family with my mother. The people in that house were passionate about folk music, and the loud, powerful sounds seemed to invade my world, transporting me to a surreal space. From this sudden spiritual and psychological shift, it felt as though I received a command—the command to write.
That’s how my first poem was born—a magical gateway to a magical beginning.
Question: How do you approach character development?
P. N.: Narrative prose cannot exist without characters. They are one of the main pillars of a work’s structure. Through them, the author conveys ideas, perspectives on life, reality, history, and myth, as well as the emotional tension inspired by the world around them.
While characters are not the only pillar of a narrative, their absence or extreme reduction would make the story dull and uninteresting. Characters bring dynamism to the story. They are the anchor around which the entire narrative world revolves. Postmodern writers have tried to break this “rule,” but I believe they haven’t succeeded in creating a new one, mainly because they faced resistance from readers who expect a novel to depict a lively world filled with people, events, conflicts, and situations reflective of life.
Let’s remember writers like Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose), Amos Oz (Judas), Milan Kundera (Immortality, Identity), Haruki Murakami, Kazuo Ishiguro, José Saramago, and Ismail Kadare, among others. They created unforgettable characters, events, and situations that remain etched in memory. In all these works, the role of the character is irreplaceable.
Question: Have any authors influenced your writing style?
P. N.: Absolutely. It would be dishonest not to acknowledge this out of some irrational fear of harming one’s personal image. Postmodern thought includes the notion that “a book writes another book.” Influence is real for everyone; what you read inevitably leaves traces—in style, structure, and composition.
Stylistically, I find Ismail Kadare to be the best and most influential among those I’ve read. However, traces of other writers may also appear in certain aspects of my work.
Question: How do you stay motivated during the writing process?
P. N.: The American poet Charles Bukowski, known for his rebellious spirit, once said: “Don’t write if you’re not ready.” This applies more to poetry than prose. Poetry has its moments—it’s something superhuman, perhaps divine, that descends into the poet’s mind and demands to be put onto paper.
Prose, on the other hand, can be written on a schedule. Once you’ve chosen your theme, planned the sequence of events, and sketched out the characters, you can write systematically. This discipline, along with constant reading, keeps the writer motivated.
Of course, there are moments when you feel stuck and think, “This isn’t working. I’ll stop.” These moments of discouragement are normal. To overcome them, taking a short break from writing and immersing yourself in reading can provide a fresh injection of inspiration and motivation.
Question: Do you write with a specific audience in mind?
P. N.: Writers who have created enduring works of literature likely had a specific audience in mind—an audience of cultivated readers with a broad horizon of expectations, what Umberto Eco referred to as the “model reader.”
Question: What do you do when you’re not writing?
P. N.: When I’m not writing, I’m either working to support my livelihood, reading, or sleeping—like most writers. Ernesto Sabato once said he takes pride not in what he has written but in what he has read.
Question: What’s the most memorable reaction you’ve received to your writing?
P. N.: Someone had left my novel The Black List in a small library in a restaurant in Gjakova with a handwritten note on the first page: “Read this—it’s worth it!” I found the note and flipped through the book, noticing that the same reader had underlined passages and left comments in the margins. This taught me that readers always have something to say, and it’s wonderful when they share it.
Question: How do you handle self-doubt or uncertainty in your writing?
P. N.: Doubt often accompanies the writing process, even for the greatest authors. Kafka, for instance, left instructions for his friend to destroy his novel The Trial, which later became a classic.
This doubt, as long as it stems from a sense of responsibility toward the written word and a desire to perfect it, isn’t harmful. The danger lies in slipping into self-censorship, which should be avoided at all costs.
Question: What’s your preferred genre to write?
P. N.: I write both poetry and prose. Writing poetry feels solemn and superhuman, unlike prose, which is a structured process.
Question: What do you hope readers take away from your work?
P. N.: I hope my writing offers readers a sense of peace, love, and spiritual relaxation. In these frightening times, art should provide alternatives to avoid the apocalyptic end that war threatens. I want to nurture hope for life.
Question: How do you define success as a writer?
P. N.: The primary indicator of success is book sales. My latest works—“Lista e zezë” and “Pikëllimi i bimëve”—have done well, with the novel nearing the end of its second print run.
Question: How do you balance the universal with the specific in your writing?
P. N.: Universality is a mosaic of specific elements. Take love, for instance—a universal feeling that must be expressed through individual experience. In poetry, personal expression often evokes universal emotions.
Question: What’s a typical day like for you as a writer?
P. N.: My days are ordinary. I wake up early for work, “steal” moments to read during my breaks, and spend the rest of my time working with books.
Question: How do you use technology and the internet in your writing?
P. N.: The internet has provided immense opportunities. Thanks to it, those of us in the diaspora can stay connected to the cultural developments of our homeland.
Question: How do you promote justice and equality through your writing?
P. N.: A writer’s duty is to serve peace, love, freedom, equality, and humanity. Great works are remembered for fulfilling this mission. People trust literature to transform and inspire them spiritually, and writers must honor that trust.
