Lindur së prapthi – Born Backward

European Prize for Literature, 2024

 Novel, Onufri Publishing Pages 232 Born Backward is an autofiction novel that follows the journey of a girl growing up in communist Albania, from early childhood to adulthood, as she navigates the contradictions and constraints of a closed and tightly controlled society. Nicknamed “born backwards” by her family for walking on her hands as a child, the girl initially views the world from below—vast, wondrous, and unreachable. As she grows and begins to stand on her feet, reality closes in, and her internal rebellion is sparked. At first caught in a trinity of worship—God, the Great Leader, and the Father—she eventually shifts her devotion to the First Beloved, marking the beginning of her awakening. Set in a cramped apartment surrounded by repurposed religious buildings turned into ideological tools, the narrative unfolds in a symbolic topography of surveillance, indoctrination, and forbidden dreams. From the church-turned-gym, to the youth cinema where she loses her innocence, to the mosque rebranded as a propaganda center—the setting mirrors the systematic erasure of individuality and spirituality. Amidst a complex family dynamic—with a communist mother cautious of the state and a father labeled a traitor—the girl matures into a young woman haunted by the legacy of being “born backwards.” With biting irony and tender sincerity, the novel captures the tragicomedy of a generation shaped by dictatorship: reading banned poetry, dreaming beyond iron borders, and surviving the absurdities of daily life. Layered with short glimpses into the present, the novel highlights how many of the era’s ills—patriarchy, surveillance, political favoritism, violence, and mistrust—persist even after the fall of the regime. Yet at its heart, the book is a declaration of the enduring power of the individual. Through art, music, and unspoken dreams—like secretly listening to The Beatles—the protagonist rises above fear and constraint, embracing freedom, love, and an uncompromising voice. With sharp prose and fearless honesty, Born Backward transforms private memory into collective truth—a powerful testament to resilience, imagination, and emancipation in the face of repression.