Merita Bajraktari McCormack
Writer

Books by this author:

"Me Zerin e Zemres" - "With The Heart's Voice"-Poetry (in Albanian) - DITURIA publishing House.

"Lulet e Jargavanit" - short stories in Albanian, ALBIN.

"The Lilac Flowers" - Short Stories in English, ALBIN Publishing House, Albania.

"Tinguj malli" - "Longing Sounds"- Poetry (In Albanian) ALBIN.

"Mozaike Te Nje Portreti" - "Mosaics Of One Portrait" - anthology, Ideator, Co-Editor, co-author ALBIN.

"Dritaret e Shpirtrit-Ferestrele Sufletului" - A volume of poetry translated from Albanian into Romanian by the Cultural Union of Albanians in Romania, 2006.

"Perndim i Mallur" - Anthology, co-author ARBERIA.

"Kur te Digjem" - Antholgy of poets gathered in iunternational festival of poetry, Tetova, Macedonia, 2005 "Timeless voices" - Anthology, publication on International library of poetry, included one poem, 2005.

Awards:

"GOLDEN PEN" Award from The Society of Albanian-American Writers, 2006

Bio

Merita was born in Korca town in 1966 and grew up in Cangonj village of South East Albania. Being a grand daughter of an anti-communist family, during the dictatorship of the communist regime in Albania, she was politically persecuted, and so were her siblings and the entire family. At a young age she qualified in two regional musical contests and although she met all the criteria, to attend the regional art school, the government denied her right for political reasons. Hence she was forced to study agricultural science, the only curriculum available to broad masses. Being excluded from her first choice , she worked hard and achieved the highest academic standards, thus forcing the government this time to grant her the right to study further. This "permission", limited though, made possible for her to obtain an University Degree in Agricultural Economics, though not her first choice!

After the fall of communism Merita worked with Donor Funded Projects until 1994. Since then, she has lived in different countries due to her husband's job assignments. She obtained her MBA degree from SEMS, Surrey University, England.

She offers her Business Consulting services on a part time basis and she carries out volunteer in civil society, which has included the setting up an NGO-s when overseas, event organizing in cooperation with Albanian embassy, to chairing committees of PTA-s at her children schools.

Her hobbies include music, traveling, reading and writing. She is the author of numerous articles published in Albanian language Newspapers and Magazines. She is a correspondent of "ILLYRIA" Newspaper- New York - and her articles appear regularly in Albanian newspapers. She has appeared as a featured guest in several Albanian Language Media Programs In Europe and USA. Merita has founded a women's discussion group and moderates few Albanian forums online.. She lives with her husband and their children in Long Island, USA.