by Micky Haxhiislami. Translation Petrit Latifi

On January 13, 1920, the drama Scanderbeg, or Love and Liberty: A Tragedy, was published in the Albanian language. The work was originally written by the English author Thomas Whincop (1697–1730) and reflects the early eighteenth century’s interest in heroic, classical, and historical subjects.

First published posthumously in London in 1747, seventeen years after Whincop’s death, the edition was prepared by his widow, Martha Whincop. The Albanian publication of 1920 represents an important moment in the reception of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg within European and Albanian literary traditions, situating Albania’s national hero within the conventions of English tragic drama and reinforcing his enduring symbolic association with liberty, sacrifice, and national identity.