Rifat Kukaj, writer, literary translator, was born in the village of Terstenik in Drenas (Kosovo). He completed primary school in his hometown, and Normal school in Pristina. He worked as a teacher and school director in his native village, then a journalist and editor in the children’s programs of Radio Prishtina, while the longest working time was the editor of children’s publications in the “Rilindja” (“Renaissance”)editorial office. He belongs to the group of writers who brought and advanced the modern expression in children’s literature, as well as carried the burden of developing this literature in Kosovo. The number of his works is very large and they are of all literary genres: poems, stories, novels, illustrations, humoresques, radio dramas, sketches, etc. A warm expression stands out, which comes as a result of deep inspiration which is also communicative with the reader, especially with children. He is the writer with the largest number of children’s novels, including: “Bardhi e Mirushja” (“Bardhi and Mirushja”) (1968), “Lepuri me pesë këmbë“ (“The rabbit with five feet”) (1971), “Zogu i bardhë“ (“The white bird”) (1989), etc. He also published a large number of collections of stories and poems. He also published illustrations for children and was involved in literary translations, especially from the Slovenian language. He was awarded numerous prizes and recognitions for his literary creativity. His literary work has been translated into several foreign languages. He passed away in Ulcinj, in 2005. (In the photo: Rifat Kukaj)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 910.
Graphic processing: AHCF
