Albanian writer Ismail Kadare has been named this year’s winner of the Prozart award of the Pro-Za Balkan International Literature Festival.

The acclaimed author is recognized for his contribution to the development of Balkan literature and for his decades-long body of work, met with praise in Europe and across the world, organizers say.

The festival, which traditionally takes place in late May, was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and rescheduled to be organized in the autumn.

The award was sent to Kadare’s home address in Paris.

“It’s an honor to give this award to a writer who has left a mark in the second part of 20th century and the beginning of this century,” says the board tasked with awarding the prize, made up of the writers Ermis Lafazanovski, Aleksandar Prokopiev and Dejan Trajkoski.

In a note of gratitude for the award, Kadare says he is honored for receiving an award that celebrates the work of Balkan writers.

Some of Kadare’s critically acclaimed works include “The General of the Dead Army”, “The Fortress”, “The Three-arched Bridge”, “The Pyramid”, and “The Successor”.

The Pro-Za Balkan Festival is financed by the EU Delegation to Skopje, the Ministry of Culture, the City of Skopje and the Yunus Emre Institute in Skopje.