Book promotion by Aida Zherka
Kosovo National Library | 27 September 2026
Moderated by Ilire Zajmi
Review by Shqipe Malushi
There are places we leave without ever truly leaving them. We carry their streets in our memory, their voices in our hearts, and their silences into every new place we call home. For Aida Zherka, that place is Gjakova.
At the Kosovo National Library, Aida presented her second poetry collection, Silent Eros, with a courage that felt both gentle and unmistakable. Poet and writer Ilire Zajmi guided their conversation toward Aida’s longing for her city, but also toward the young woman she had once been. Aida spoke openly of growing up in a traditional family, of feeling different, and of questioning the expectations around her. In doing so, she let us see how much of a life can live behind a poem.
One of the most moving parts of her journey is the long road toward loving herself. For a woman raised to believe that such love might be selfish, choosing to value her own happiness becomes an act of courage. The verse on the back of her book speaks of happiness changing its address and of her determination never again to lose herself in order to keep it.
Today, Aida lives in Luxembourg with her family. She stands on a bridge between two cultures, drawing from each as she continues to shape and enrich her identity. She holds the pain of her upbringing alongside the light of her future. Neither cancels the other. Both have helped make her the woman and poet she is becoming.
Her poem Nostalgia gives life to memories that refuse to fade quietly. They return, asking how they could have been forgotten, though perhaps they never were. Throughout her poetry, I felt her deep connection to Gjakova, her love for her family, and the ache of belonging to more than one world. Her silences are full of feeling; they leave room for the reader’s own memories to rise.
Aida’s family was present for the promotion, sharing in the pride of seeing her stand before the audience with her book. That image stayed with me: a woman surrounded by those she loves, speaking openly in all the nuances of her womanhood, her longing, and her search for happiness.
Silent Eros is a reminder that finding our voice does not mean forgetting where we came from. Sometimes it means listening more deeply to everything we have carried, and finally making a home for it within ourselves.
