ABSTRACT
The Albanian State was born at the turn of the twentieth century, but the history of Albania predates that of Greece. History has been cruel to the Albanians since the Roman conquest. The specific Albanian characteristic surprised Edith Durham, one of the most well-known, some would say controversial, Western Albanologists of the first half of the twentieth century. Many British and European hopefuls are trying to emulate Durham's example, especially recently when so much has happened in the Balkans. In High Albania Durham depicts only one Albanian region. The denigration of foreigners, East Europeans and especially the Albanians is an ongoing process in the British media and English literature. This denigration manifests itself in the works of authors like Robert Carver and Malcolm Bradbury and especially in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Albania and other East European countries deserve a more objective and sympathetic treatment in Western and English literature.
