Esad Mekuli was born in Plav to
Haxhi Hoxhë Smajl Ademi of the Mekuli brotherhood in Nokshiq (sk.
Novšiće). After finishing the local primary school, Mekuli studied in
Pejë, graduating in 1936. He then registered in the faculty of
veterinary medicine at the
University of Belgrade. There he came in contact with
Marxist circles, and was a veteran of the
Spanish Civil War; for his political activity he was arrested in 1940. He was released in April 1941 after the declaration of amnesty. He began working in Peć as a veterinarian and was arrested again by the Italian army in 1942 for being suspected of having connections with the resistance movement. After his release, he joined the partisan forces in 1943 and became the editor of illegal partisan newspaper
"Lirija" (Freedom). After World War II he continued to work as a veterinarian, as well as the editor of the only legal Albanian newspaper of Kosovo "Rilindja" (Rebirth). In 1949 he founded the literary magazine
"Jeta e Re" (New Life) and remained its
editor-in-chief until 1971. His pen names include Sat Nokshiqi and Sat Hoxha. He died in
Pristina on August 6, 1993. Esad was married to
Sehadete Mekuli, gynecologist, public figure, and inspiration for the character
Teuta Shkreli in
Ismail Kadare's 1985 novel
Krushqit jane te ngrire (The Wedding Procession Turned to Ice). ==Works==