In Conversation: Anna Di Lellio & Garentina Kraja
The Strongest Link
26.03.2026
18:00
Biblioteka Kombëtare e Kosovës / National Library of Kosovo
Moderated by Linda Gusia
Anna Di Lellio and Garentina Kraja are joined by Linda Gusia in a discussion of their recently published book. In The Strongest Link: An Oral History of Wartime Rape Survivors in Kosovo, Di Lellio and Kraja present an oral history of women who survived weaponized rape during the Kosovo War. In their own voices, twenty women describe the war’s terror, as well as the nightmares and suicidal thoughts that still torment them today. Through these unique individuals, readers are given a glimpse into what it's like to be a woman whose life has been altered and undone by a violent regime, war, and patriarchal rules. We see how these women suffered but also how they exhibited immense bravery and unflagging dedication to their families and communities.
Di Lellio and Kraja contextualized these narratives within a history of state repression, ethnic cleansing, and lack of justice. They have also woven these women's stories together, and placed them within a chronological storyline so that they can be read as one might listen to a choir; each woman’s unique voice and story can be heard, but their power lies in a shared song, a story of courage and strength.
Anna Di Lellio is Adjunct Professor at the Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) at New York University. An expert on Kosovo, she co-founded the Kosovo Oral History Initiative. She has taught at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, The New School, and the American University in Kosovo.
Garentina Kraja is a researcher, journalist, and former policy adviser. Her career comprises over two decades of reporting, researching, and advising policy in Kosovo and other countries in the Western Balkans, ranging from the coverage of the 1998-99 war in her native Kosovo to its transition to an independent state.
Prof.Ass. Linda Gusia is a feminist scholar and sociologist. She is head of the Institute of Sociology at the University of Prishtina. Her research has focused on topics of gender, feminism, activism, space, memory, and resistance.
