The Society for Albanian Studies is pleased to announce that the winner of the inaugural Stavro Skendi Book Prize for Achievement in Albanian Studies is Eckehard Pistrick of the Institute for European Ethnomusicology at the University of Cologne for his book Performing Nostalgia: Migration Culture and Creativity in South Albania (Ashgate, 2015).
The annual Skendi prize recognizes contributions to Albanian Studies, broadly defined. Dr. Pistrick’s book, in the committee’s judgment, impressively connects ethnomusicology, anthropology and migration studies. Linking sound with space and emotionality, it offers a new understanding of the role of the oral tradition within Albanian communities, in particular its ability to deal creatively with painful experiences and the realities of migration.
The book prize committee was made up of Anna Di Lellio (Chair), Arolda Elbasani, and Elidor Mëhilli.
Linking sound with space and emotionality, Performing Nostalgia offers a new understanding of the role of the oral tradition within Albanian communities, in particular its ability to deal creatively with painful experiences and the realities of migration.
The winner of the Arshi Pipa Best Graduate Student Paper Award is Fjolla Kondirolli of Cornell University for her paper, “Determinants of Early Childhood Development in Kosovo.”
In the view of the committee, Kondirolli’s paper (drawn from her MA thesis) tackles an important and understudied topic in the field of Albanian Studies: early childhood development in Kosovo. It is original, insofar as it employs newly available data to test existing theories of early childhood development in Kosovo for the first time.
The graduate student paper award committee was made up of Elton Skendaj (chair), Chelsi West Ohueri, and Pellumb Kelmendi.
Congratulations to our winners!
A formal award conferral will be made during our business meeting at ASEEES 2017 in Chicago.
The Society for Albanian Studies 