Back

ICFRC - Kosovo's Cultural Survival Through Literature and Education

Listen to an audio podcast of this program.

Vlora Konushevci is a poet, translator, and essayist from Kosovo whose work spans the literary, cultural, and linguistic bridges of the Balkan region. She is the author of the acclaimed poetry collection Lavdi Vetes, a bold exploration of selfhood and identity. As editor and translator, she has curated two notable bilingual anthologies Poetry Without Borders (Albanian-Serbian), which fosters dialogue across historical divides, and Magma (Albanian-English), introducing Albanian voices to a broader international readership. She also published a short-story collection Martesat, valixhet dhe ngarkesat e tjera (Marriages, suitcases and other burdens) in 2025, a spare, unsentimental portrait of post-war Kosovo. With quiet irony and tight, clear prose, Konushevci turns departures, waiting rooms, and half-open doors into acts of witness and stubborn survival. Her poetry and translations have appeared in a range of respected literary journals including The Common, Songs of Eretz, and European Literature Network.

Konushevci has received multiple literary awards for her original work and is a respected voice in Kosova's cultural press. Beyond her creative contributions, she serves as a certified translator for both national and international institutions, playing a key role in intercultural communication and diplomacy. Her participation in this program is made possible through the generous support of the University of lowa's Office of the Vice President for Research and the Graduate College.

Presented in partnership with Oaknoll.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org. To watch other ICFRC programs, please view our extensive collection at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

Related Programs

thumbnail of video

ICFRC: Venezuela After Maduro and U.S. Strategy in the Western Hemisphere
Recorded: January 26, 2026
Runtime: 01:09:53

thumbnail of video

ICFRC: What are the Costs of Widespread Economic Inequality?
Recorded: October 29, 2025
Runtime: 01:24:15

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - Indigenous Strength - Food Sovereignty and Language Revitalization
Recorded: October 13, 2025
Runtime: 01:14:55

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - Is the USA a Nation of Immigrants or a Deportation Nation?
Recorded: October 3, 2025
Runtime: 01:27:47

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - A Danish Nurse's Journey with MSF
Recorded: September 17, 2025
Runtime: 01:10:55

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - Flashpoint? Taiwan, China, and the United States
Recorded: May 15, 2025
Runtime: 01:07:53

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - Well Earth - Spices and Sustainability in Business and Agriculture
Recorded: April 16, 2025
Runtime: 00:59:58

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - When Archives Meet Authoritarianism
Recorded: April 11, 2025
Runtime: 01:00:09

thumbnail of video

ICFRC - Fostering Climate Resilience Together
Recorded: April 4, 2025
Runtime: 01:16:22