Milo Duçi (1870–1933) was an Albanian publisher, playwright, and entrepreneur.
Born in Korçë (then part of the Ottoman Empire), he lived for most of his life in Egypt. [1] Together with his uncle Loni Logori he succeeded as an entrepreneur and distinguished activist of the Albanian community in Egypt.
Duçi, son of a powerful cotton merchant from Korçë, [2] settled in Egypt at the age of 23 [3] and became a merchant himself. [4] He was one of the founders of "Vëllazëria" (Brotherhood) society, established in 1910 in Cairo, and the Beni Suef branch of it with the support of the Khedive office. [2] [4]
Duçi also started and directed several press organs of the Albanian diaspora in Egypt, mostly short-lived. These included the magazines Toska (The Tosk) during 1901–02, Besa-Besë (Pledge for a pledge) during 1904–05 together with Thoma Avrami, Besa ( Besa) of 1905 which lasted for 6 issues and was printed by Al-Tawfik in Cairo, [5] and newspapers Shqipëria (Albania) from October 1906 to February 1907, a daily of Cairo with the last two issues coming out in Maghagha, [5] and the weekly Bisedimet (The discussions) of 1925–26 with 60 issues in total, which would be the last Albanian-language newspaper in Egypt. [3] [4] He wrote several articles regarding the necessity for a unified literary Albanian language and the cultural-literary development of the Albanian society. In 1922 he established the publishing company Shtëpia botonjëse shqiptare/Société Albanaise d'édition (Albanian Publishing House). [6] He also left his footprint as a playwright; some of his comedies were E Thëna (The saying), Gjaku (The blood), I biri i Begut ( Bey's son). He also wrote short stories and poetry in the local press in Egypt. [7]
In addition to the Albanian patriotic activity, Duçi was a successful entrepreneur. His family emerged as an important player in the economic development of Egypt's Delta region directed by
Lord Cromer's office. By 1901, he started working with his well-connected uncle Loni Logori on projects that explicitly tied the commercial interest of the
British administration and the local landowners.
[2] Beside British, he openly solicited
Austro-Hungarian support, despite the distrust that many
Eastern Orthodox south-Albanians had for the Austrian Geo-politics. Toska's initial failure did not dissuade the Austrian authorities to support him; in 1902 they sent him 120
krone for the subscription, ordering the newspaper to be shipped to
Vienna from where it would get distributed to
Ottoman Albania.
[5]
Through his uncle, Duçi would also get in touch with the Albanian
émigré in
Bucharest,
Italy,
Istanbul, and
Brussels.
[2] The French consul in
Shkodër reported that Duçi collaborated with a defrocked
Catholic priest named Gaspar Jakova Merturi who secured funds from a claimant for the Albanian throne, Prince
Albert Ghica of
Romania. He also collaborated closely with the
Arberesh journalist
Anselmo Lorecchio, editor of
La Nazione Albanese.
[5]
Po në atë vit, Thoma Avrami dhe Milo Duçi, botuan gazetën e dytë shqiptare, me titull «Besa- besë».
Atdhetari tjetër Milo Duçi, rilindas i kolonisë së Egjiptit, shkrimtar, publicist, linguist, kishte lindur me 1870 dhe shumë i ri, 23 vjeçar u vendos në Egjipt...
Më vonë në vitet 1925-1926, ai botoi të përjavëshmen « Bisedimet ».
Milo Duçi (1870–1933) was an Albanian publisher, playwright, and entrepreneur.
Born in Korçë (then part of the Ottoman Empire), he lived for most of his life in Egypt. [1] Together with his uncle Loni Logori he succeeded as an entrepreneur and distinguished activist of the Albanian community in Egypt.
Duçi, son of a powerful cotton merchant from Korçë, [2] settled in Egypt at the age of 23 [3] and became a merchant himself. [4] He was one of the founders of "Vëllazëria" (Brotherhood) society, established in 1910 in Cairo, and the Beni Suef branch of it with the support of the Khedive office. [2] [4]
Duçi also started and directed several press organs of the Albanian diaspora in Egypt, mostly short-lived. These included the magazines Toska (The Tosk) during 1901–02, Besa-Besë (Pledge for a pledge) during 1904–05 together with Thoma Avrami, Besa ( Besa) of 1905 which lasted for 6 issues and was printed by Al-Tawfik in Cairo, [5] and newspapers Shqipëria (Albania) from October 1906 to February 1907, a daily of Cairo with the last two issues coming out in Maghagha, [5] and the weekly Bisedimet (The discussions) of 1925–26 with 60 issues in total, which would be the last Albanian-language newspaper in Egypt. [3] [4] He wrote several articles regarding the necessity for a unified literary Albanian language and the cultural-literary development of the Albanian society. In 1922 he established the publishing company Shtëpia botonjëse shqiptare/Société Albanaise d'édition (Albanian Publishing House). [6] He also left his footprint as a playwright; some of his comedies were E Thëna (The saying), Gjaku (The blood), I biri i Begut ( Bey's son). He also wrote short stories and poetry in the local press in Egypt. [7]
In addition to the Albanian patriotic activity, Duçi was a successful entrepreneur. His family emerged as an important player in the economic development of Egypt's Delta region directed by
Lord Cromer's office. By 1901, he started working with his well-connected uncle Loni Logori on projects that explicitly tied the commercial interest of the
British administration and the local landowners.
[2] Beside British, he openly solicited
Austro-Hungarian support, despite the distrust that many
Eastern Orthodox south-Albanians had for the Austrian Geo-politics. Toska's initial failure did not dissuade the Austrian authorities to support him; in 1902 they sent him 120
krone for the subscription, ordering the newspaper to be shipped to
Vienna from where it would get distributed to
Ottoman Albania.
[5]
Through his uncle, Duçi would also get in touch with the Albanian
émigré in
Bucharest,
Italy,
Istanbul, and
Brussels.
[2] The French consul in
Shkodër reported that Duçi collaborated with a defrocked
Catholic priest named Gaspar Jakova Merturi who secured funds from a claimant for the Albanian throne, Prince
Albert Ghica of
Romania. He also collaborated closely with the
Arberesh journalist
Anselmo Lorecchio, editor of
La Nazione Albanese.
[5]
Po në atë vit, Thoma Avrami dhe Milo Duçi, botuan gazetën e dytë shqiptare, me titull «Besa- besë».
Atdhetari tjetër Milo Duçi, rilindas i kolonisë së Egjiptit, shkrimtar, publicist, linguist, kishte lindur me 1870 dhe shumë i ri, 23 vjeçar u vendos në Egjipt...
Më vonë në vitet 1925-1926, ai botoi të përjavëshmen « Bisedimet ».