Young Albanian Author Chanel Bashhysa publishes her first book in Italy
The book “Michelle and Her Dream as a Princess” is much more than a simple read: it is an invitation to reflect and to believe in dreams, to not forget the beauty of small things, to look carefully at children, because often hidden within them are writers, poets, artists and philosophers, capable of drawing us into their world of wonder.
By Angela Kosta | Italy
During the Christmas holidays, in the infinite universe of words and creativity, where literature is often built on the experiences of adults, the book of the little author Chanel Bashhysa was released. A 10-year-old girl, born in Alexandria, surprises and excites us with her first fairy tale: “Michelle and her dream as a princess”, published by the Kubera Book Edizioni publishing house in Italy. Her book is not just a fairy tale for children: it is a work written by a child for children and adults who know how to listen and read with soul and heart.
It is the voice of a young, young author, who with delicacy and deep intuition, manages to touch on current topics such as poverty, hope, transformation, and the value of dreams.
As the tale continues, Michelle finds true friendship, another important aspect of her happiness. She meets children who play and dance, forms close friendships, learns to dance, and finally, at the culmination of her dream, performs in the theater, receiving much applause and recognition.
Each chapter of the tale is constructed with care and sensitivity: her birthday, the anticipation of her little sister’s arrival, the generosity of friends and family, the sharing of joy. The most ordinary events and moments become extraordinary, because they are seen through the eyes and vision of the optics of those who dream.
And finally comes the awakening. The dream ends, but (as in the most beautiful fairy tales), what remains is not sadness, but gratitude. Michelle (and with her Chanel) leaves us with a powerful lesson and voice: even if we wake up from the dream, no one can take away what we have experienced in our hearts.
With this beautiful book, her first work, Chanel Bashhysa, although young, shows an extraordinary narrative maturity. Her writing is pure, sincere and evocative. The choice of words, the construction of events, the coherence of the characters and the overall harmony of the work show a rare literary sensitivity for her still young age.
Michelle, the little protagonist, lives in simplicity and lack of income.
Her daily reality is marked by poverty and fragility, but also by the ability to hope. The beginning of the tale takes us to a house without a roof, to a room with little food, to a time that seems completely gloomy with fog and melancholy. But precisely from that “dry” land, Michelle finds a book hidden underground.
This is precisely the magical, but also symbolic element: knowledge, fantasy, and imagination, which when cherished with love, manage to change life, at least a little.
The narrative takes flight when, in a dream, Michelle wakes up in a beautiful castle.
There, everything is transformed: her mother becomes queen, her father king, and she wears a sparkling pink dress, a symbol of restored beauty and grandeur.
With wonder and grace, young author Chanel describes every detail, transporting the reader to a world where every girl can feel loved, special, and worthy of sitting on a throne. But this is not just a luxurious kingdom: it is a place of love, and of belonging, of identity.
I would like to emphasize that the contribution of illustrator Silla Maria Campanini, who accompanies the text with sweetness and a magical hand, is also extremely important, as is the editing by Angela Kosta, a well-known figure with experience in promoting youth and international literature.
And yet, the vibrating heart of the work is Chanel: her innocence, her light power, her ability to imagine a better world, which starts from darkness but finds and explodes the strong dominant light.
The book “Michelle and Her Dream as a Princess” is much more than a simple read: it is an invitation to reflect and to believe in dreams, to not forget the beauty of small things, to look carefully at children, because often hidden within them are writers, poets, artists and philosophers, capable of drawing us into their world of wonder.
The fairy tale by author Chanel Bashhysa deserves to be read, spread, and translated into other foreign languages. But above all, it deserves to be heard, because it is the authentic voice of childhood that, without fuss, teaches us the precious values of the future.
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Angela Kosta is Albania-born Italian journalist, essayist, editor, literary critic, writer, translator, poet, international promoter
