In October 1964, Dhimitër Pasko (Mitrush Kuteli), just three years before his death, sent a letter to Mehmet Shehu, the Prime Minister of the communist regime, in which one of Albania's most prominent prose writers and literary critics asked for permission to focus on literary writing. This letter was written in 1964, when Kuteli, after his imprisonment in Vloçisht and his "rehabilitation" by the communist regime, felt overwhelmed by his daily work as a translator. Kuteli, 58 years old and in poor health, requested a three-year creative leave to devote himself to original writings, which he considered more valuable than translations. The letter reflects his desire to leave a literary legacy, but also his frustration with the regime's restrictions, a sign of his effort to preserve his artistic identity, personal and intellectual dignity under the pressure of the communist regime.
Mitrush Kutel's letter to Mehmet Shehu:
To Comrade Mehmet Shehu
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania
Tirana
Comrade Mehmet,
I have been preparing a memoir for almost two months about my literary and journalistic work over the past 40 years, about my family, economic and health situation, about my current literary efforts and projects. During this time, I have been thinking about who I should send this memoir to, and I have hesitated. Today, I am overcoming this hesitation and sending it to you. The thought that prompted me to stop by you is this: “Comrade Mehmet, I said, is drowning in great and difficult work without being able to steer the ship of the state, of our people, amidst the rough international storms of our days, but at the same time he is also a writer. So he will listen to me and understand.” So I said, so I am doing: I am sending you the “Memoir”.
I tried to summarize this letter in as few pages as possible, but it still got long, it spilled over into twenty pages. I have nothing to do: it's been 40 years of work and struggle in various fields: literary, journalistic, economic. There is also the aspiration not to remain a writer of a bygone era, but also of today. So many desires and projects are bubbling up in my mind, which I want to put on paper and I can't. I can't because my health is bad and the few clearer moments that remain to me I must dedicate to my daily work, to translation. However, I feel that this work, translation, is much less valuable and useful than what I could do if I devoted my good moments to original writings. So I quickly reached where my teeth hurt: I want to have 3 years of free time, my own, to finish what I have started and perhaps some of what I have been thinking. I ask for these 3 years in the form of a creative license. A lot? It's not a lot, comrade Mehmet. I have done forty years of unrivaled work in various fields, I want 3 years just for literature. Do I do something good? Yes. I say this, even though I am old (58 years old) and in poor health. Many other younger colleagues, with less activity and narrower goals, have long since won the opportunity to devote themselves solely to writing, as professionals. I do not ask for such a thing. The few years that I have left - I say this because my illnesses are grinding me down - I ask for 3 years of release from mundane work to do something unimportant.
What is the guarantee that I will do such a job? Those 40 years of work in the past that, if they say nothing else very, very positive about my country, at least say that I have not wasted my time with entertainment, nor with career aspirations, but always at work. If you read carefully you will see that this is so.
Will the Party and You become my patron? I don't know, but I hope and wait. And hoping and waiting, I continue to work - I will have to work tirelessly in two fields: translation and creation. And very tired.
I send you my regards,
Dhimiter Pasko
(M. Kuteli)
Tirana, October 20, 1964.
