Kristina Gentile Mandala

Kristina Gentile Mandala (1856–1919) was an Arbëresh writer from Italy. An early documenter of Arbëreshë fairy tales, she is considered one of the first Albanian women writers.

The Albanian writer Kristina Gentile Mandala
Kristina Gentile Mandala, dressed in traditional Albanian costume at the Collegio di Maria.

She was born in 1856 in Piana degli Albanesi, a village in Sicily.[1][2][3] Her family was Arbëreshë, an Albanian ethno-linguistic group in Italy.[2][3] She studied at the Collegio di Maria in Piana degli Albanesi.[2]

Mandala is considered a pioneer among Albanian literary women alongside Dora D'Istrias.[2][3][4] She was also among the first writers to compile Arbëreshë fairy tales.[1][2][3] In addition, she produced two books of poetry: Pugare (1887) and Fatmeni (1887).[2][3][5][6] She wrote for various periodicals, notably the magazine Fiamuri Arbërit and its successor Arbri i Ri.[2][7][8]

Her work was influenced by the Albanian writers Girolamo de Rada and Demetrio Camarda.[2] She was supported in her work by her younger cousin, the poet Giuseppe Schirò, whom she supported in turn in the early days of his literary career.[2][9]

Mandala wrote in Arbëreshë, though her work was sometimes translated into Italian.[7]

References
  1. Halla, Barbara (2019-02-20). "Barren Landscape: Who is Afraid of Albanian Women?". Asymptote. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  2. Shukriu, Edi (2016-08-17). "Kristina Gentile Mandala, one of the first Albanian writers". Gentlewomen. Archived from the original on 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  3. Shukriu, Edi (2000). Gra të shquara shqiptare: I (in Albanian). Forumi i Gruas i LDS-së.
  4. "Në përvejetorin e Poetit Arbëresh Zef Skiroj". Hylli i dritës (in Albanian). 1944. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  5. "Bibliografia albanese". Arbitalia (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  6. Ferraro, Enrico (2016). Bibliografia Arberesca: letteraria, linguistica, folklorica, storica, etnografica e artistica (PDF) (in Italian). Associazione Culturale Arbitalia.
  7. Pitrè, Giuseppe (1894). Bibliografia delle tradizioni popolari d'Italia (in Italian). C. Clausen.
  8. "Le Instituzioni Educative in Albania dal 1878 al 1913" (PDF). Università degli Studi di Macerata (in Italian). 2014.
  9. Mandala, Matteo (2020-12-26). "Letrat që Luigi Pirandello ia shkroi Zef Skiroit". Daily News (in Albanian). Retrieved 2021-03-17.
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