User talk:Botaegruas

Merita Bajraktari McCormack

Books by this author:

"Me Zerin e Zemres" - "With The Heart's Voice"-Poetry (in Albanian) - DITURIA publishing House,Albania.

"Lulet e Jargavanit" - Short Stories in Albanian, ALBIN publishing House, Albania.

"The Lilac Flowers" - Short Stories in English, ALBIN Publishing House, Albania (this book is based on true events during Communism in Albania).

"Tinguj malli" - "Longing Sounds"- Poetry (In Albanian) ALBIN Publishing House,Albania.

"Ferestrele Sufletului-Dritaret e Shpirtit"-Selected Poetry in Romanian Language, a publication in collaboration with the Albanian Union in Bucharest, Romania, Albin,2007.

"Nenes"-("Mother")-Editor and co-author- A collection of Poetry, Short Stories and Letters dedicated to Mothers by Albanian Women living all over the world.

"Mozaike Te Nje Portreti" - "Mosaics Of One Portrait" - anthology, Editor and co-author ALBIN.

"Perendim i Mallur" - Anthology of Albanian American Poets, co-author ARBERIA,Publishing House.

"Kur te Digjem" and "The Candle" - Antholgies of poets gathered in the International Festival of Poetry- "Ditet e Naimit", Tetova, Macedonia, 2005 and 2007.

"Timeless voices" - Anthology, publication of International Library of Poetry, included the opening poem, 2005.

Awards:

"GOLDEN PEN" Award from The Society of Albanian-American Writers, 2006

"Second Place"- Prize for best poetry written in English by an Albanian American author,during 2006. Awarded by Editors of "Fotjonart" Magazine-a publication of "Fotjonart Publishing House".

Bio

Merita was born in Korca town to two wonderful parents, the Father a Professional in Medical field and the Mother being a well known tailor in the region. She grew up in Cangonj village of Devoll, a South Eastern region in Albania,where her family roots take place. Being the grand daughter of two anti-communist families, during the dictatorship of the communist regime in Albania, she was politically persecuted, and so were her siblings and the entire family.Life in Communist Albania was "regulated", controlled,dictated and manipulated by the agents of "Sigurimi", Communist Party Secretaries and their ordinances ,spread throughout the country...to interfere and destroy lives of others.

The high school that Merita attended, was located in Progri Village, the Centre of the Cooperative, (Commune today), which her village, Cangonj, belonged to, administratively. This school's curriculuum was mostly based on agriculture subjects and only several students from each village in the Cooperative ,could attend.Merita's top academic results saved her and "gave her the chance" to even to get to attend this school,which was the only opportunity at that time.Left with that only choice of High School Education, Merita worked and studied hard and achieved the highest academic standards, thus forcing the government to grant her the right to study at a State University,due, only to the academic results, a rare accomplishment. The State Educational Institution was to be assigned by the governement,of course. There have never been private educational institutions in Albania ,during 1945-1991,that is the dark age of communism. This "permission", limited though to Agricultural subjects, made possible for Merita to obtain an University Degree in Agricultural Economics, from Agriculture University of Tirana. After achieving top academic standards,again, through University years, Merita was again discriminated, and appointed by the government to work as an economist in a farm who was named after the dictator's name, in Korca region. (That was Zemblak, Plase)

Isolated again, Merita, sought ways to her freedom and searched for ways to accomplish her desire for knowledge. Her brothers and herself, made time and self -taught English and acquired the basics of few other languages, like Greek, Italian and even some German. She offered, for free, translation services to those regional families who had relatives in the West, and had left Albania before communism took over.By doing so, translating letters, Merita could practice her English and was able to learn some more. Herself and the whole family, often, but very secretly, listened to foreign radio stations and became aware of the world opinions of tyranny that they were living under.

After the fall of communism Merita attended several training courses in Tirana in the fields of English Language, Business Administration, Information Technology, and even obtained a Diploma in English Language from Tirana University and by doing so, along with her duties, as Chief Economist for an Enterprise, she taught English at a High School and to some Local Youth Groups. Later, she was mainly involved with Donor Funded Projects, in Albania, including FAO Projects, EU countries( Bilateral Aid) Projects in the posts of Project Administrator,Team Leader Assistant,Human Resource Manager and with Private Joint Ventures,as a translator. She has,for many years now, lived in different countries of the world due to her husband's job assignments and has contributed profesionally to several projects.

Merita obtained her MBA (Master of Busines and Administration) degree from School of Management(SoM), Surrey University, England in 1998.

She offers her Business Consulting Services on a part time basis,as she raises her three young children, and she carries out volunteer duties in civil society.

Her hobbies include writing, music, reading, traveling and photography. She is the author of numerous articles published in Albanian Language Newspapers and Magazines. She is a rregular contributor to "ILLYRIA" Newspaper- New York -, "Informatori"-Magazine, Zagreb Croatia, and her articles appear regularly in Albanian Newspapers. She has appeared as a featured guest in several Albanian Language Media Programs in Europe and USA. Merita has founded "Pan AlbanianWomen Network".Several of her lyrics are turned into songs, by Prof.Akil Koci, a Contemporary Avangardist, Albanian Composer, based in London and by the "King of Serenades", Mihallaq Andrea of Korca, Merita's hometown. She lives with her family in USA.