Luigj Gurakuqi

Luigj Gurakuqi (February 19, 1879 – March 2, 1925) was an Albanian writer and politician. He was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and was honoured with the People's Hero of Albania medal.

Gurakuqi was born in Shkodër on February 19, 1879. Gurakuqi studied at the Saverian College run by the Jesuits in his native Shkodër. Encouraged by his teachers, Anton Xanoni and Gaspër Jakova Merturi, he began writing poetry in Italian, Latin, and Albanian.^[1] In 1897, he left for Italy to study at the Italo–Albanian college of San Demetrio Corone (Collegio of Sant'Adriano) under Girolamo De Rada, who was to exercise a strong influence on him.^[1] Gurakuqi also studied medicine in Naples for three years, but his interests were focused more on science and the humanities. In Naples, he came into contact with Arbëresh literary and political figures and published Albanian school texts and a book on prosody.^[1] He was also a poet and published under the pen name Jakin Shkodra and Lekë Gruda. He published articles in Albania, Drita (magazine), Kalendari-kombëtar, Liria e Shqipërisë, and La Nazione Albanese.