Born in rural Louisiana, Sami Novaj first traveled to Kosova and Albania in 2003 as a member of NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR). After returning to Louisiana in 2004, the people, culture and history of the Albanian people continued to tug at his mind and heart, evoking within him an unquenchable thirst to remain connected to that ancient and mysterious part of the world. In response to this gentle but persistent call, he has traveled extensively within Albanian communities in both Kosova and Albania. Sami Novaj discovered his writer's voice in 2005, while visiting family in the small village of Arshi Lengo, near the southern Albanian city of Gjirokastër. Sami currently lives with his wife on the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
