Welcome to The Centre for Albanian Studies

The Centre for Albanian Studies is a London-based charity. The aim of the Centre for Albanian Studies (CAS) is to inform and educate people in the United Kingdom and other Western countries about the Albanian culture, history, current affairs and politics. The goals of the CAS are to publish books, pamphlets and to also organise conferences and seminars relating to Albania, Kosova and Albanian speaking world. CAS is not politically biased and does not produce propagandistic material.

To achieve our goals we depend entirely on funding and private donations. We have many projects in various stages of development ( see below) and are continuously seeking funds to complete them. Your help is needed more than ever.

We are proud to be working with London based I.B. Tauris publishers. This means that our books will be widely distributed and available in bookshops across the globe. Although, the relationship with I.B Tauris has enabled us to go this far, we still need help with printing costs and other project related costs to be able to publish more books.

Please help us by donating to the Centre directly. The contact details and information on how to do that are on the donations page.

You can also help us by becoming a member of the Centre for Albanian Studies. The membership form and more information about the benefits of being a member are on the membership page.

Many thanks for your continuous help.

Bejtullah Destani , director and founder

We are fundrasing for those publications:

ALBANIAN LETTERS; Nationalism, Independence and the
Albanian League by Sir Arthur Evans
Bejtullah Destani (Ed.) 224 pages, Hardback

In Albanian Letters, Evans not only explores
the implications of the key political events of
this period (for example, the formation of the
Albanian League in 1878) but also paints a
vivid picture of the country’s complex social
and cultural make-up. In the late 19th
century, the questions of nationalism and
national identity were a major preoccupation
for Albanians. Albanian Letters looks at how
Albanians' views of their homeland were
affected by developments taking place at the
time, including increasing awareness of
ethnic differences, population migration and
changes to its distinctive culture and
tradition.
Albanian Letters offers a vivid snapshot of a
nation at a critical period in its development.

OUR WOMAN IN ALBANIA; The Life of Margaret Hasluck, Scholar
and Spy by Margaret Hasluck, 350 pages, Hardback

Margaret Hasluck lived in Albania for nearly
twenty years until the country was occupied
by Italy in 1939 and she was forced into exile.
During her time in Albania she travelled
widely in the Balkans and published a number
of works about various aspects of Albanian
politics and culture, from traditional folklore
to non-conformist Islam. With the start of
World War II, she was employed by the
Special Operations Executive (SOE) and as a
result of her detailed knowledge of the
Balkans she was appointed adviser on
Albanian Affairs from February 1942, a post
she held until 1944.
Our Woman in Albania is a historically
significant and valuable resource for anyone
with an interest in the dramatic history of
this fascinating region.

THE LAND OF THE THUNDERBOLT
MOUNTAINS; The Nineteenth-century Origins of
Albanian National Identity by Dora d'Istria
Translated by Morelle Smith, 256 pages, Hardback

Published in English for the first time, The
Land of the Thunderbolt Mountains
showcases D’Istria’s writings about Albania.
Through the medium of songs and folklore,
d’Istria analyses an overlooked but important
aspect of Eastern European history - the
theme of nationality and the role of women in
its development - and examines in detail the
role of Albanian women in different regions
of the country, from an original female
perspective. Beautifully written, The Land of
the Thunderbolt Mountains is a treat for
everyone interested in the history of the
Balkans and Albania.