Alija Krasnići (Ali Krasniqi) was born in the village of Crkvena Vodica, near the town of Obilić, Kosovo (at the time a Serbian province of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in 1952. He writes in the Gurbet Romani dialect.

Krasnići has written more than 80 literary works in virtually every literary genre, including an unpublished novel in Romani (note that all other Romani novelists have published in the languages of their respective nation state). His work is pioneering in many respects: for example, he is the author of the first plays written by a Yugoslav Rom in the Romani language (Carra me, carra tu… [A bit me, a bit you …], 1974, and Rromano ratvalo abav [Romani blood wedding], 1978), staged at the Obilić Cultural Centre. He has written and published a significant number of prose works, mainly short stories, exclusively in the Romani language, as it is his firm belief that the only way to develop and enrich the Romani language is to create and publish in it (see also his reading of the story ‘Dinipe godji’.

Krasnići graduated from university in law and became a major figure in Kosovo Romani cultural life and civil activism. This was possible in the context of the former Yugoslavia´s Romani policies, which supported Romani cultural production and the Romani language at all levels in the federation. Moreover, in Kosovo, all ethnic communities living in the province received support for various cultural and educational activities, including media programmes and book publishing.

Unlike most other Romani writers, Krasnići decided to step back from political and civil activism after witnessing the fate of Roma during the Kosovo conflict. Many Roma were accused by the conflicting parties in taking the side of ‘the other’; they were hunted down and forced to leave their homes and some were even killed. Krasnići fled from his home with his family, settling first in Kragujevac and later in Subotica (Serbia), where he lives today.
Krasnići has devoted his energy to literary and linguistic activities (see also his interview). He strives to strengthen cooperation between Romani writers by compiling anthologies, engaging in editorial work and translating into and from Romani.
His works have been published in many anthologies and translated into Albanian, Macedonian, Italian and Arabic.

Selected bibliography

Krasnići, Alija. 1981. Čergarendje Jaga. Priština: Jedinstvo.

Krasnići, Alija. 1986. Iaripe ano djuvdipe. Priština: Jedinstvo.

Krasnići, Alija. 1989. Zvezdani snovi. Priština: Jedinstvo.

Krasnići, Alija. 1995. Prekal efta plajina. Priština: Pergament.

Krasnići, Alija. 1995. Rromane kanrralje droma. Priština: Pergament.

Krasnići, Alija. 1995. Rromani kalji paramići / Romska crna bajka. Priština: Pergament.

Krasnići, Alija. 1997. Ljimora munrre ljimorenđe. Priština: Enis graf.

Krasnići, Alija (ed.). 1997. Rat Rromano. Priština: [s. n.].

Krasnići, Alija (ed.). 2000. Jasenovac: antologija pesama o Jasenovcu / Jasenovac: antologija e điljenđi katar o Jasenovac. Kragujevac / Gnjilane: Memorijalni centar Roma za holokaust studije.

Krasnići, Alija. 2000. Đilja parvarde sunenca. Kragujevac: [s. n.].

Krasnići, Alija. 2000. Elvira. Niš: Imprimé.

Krasnići, Alija. 2000. Rromani mahlava. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići (Niš: Imprime).

Krasnići, Ali. 2001. DEVL!A, ker man kir: rromane paramìća andar-e Kòsova ta e Metohìa. Beograd: Centar za stvaralaštvo mladih.

Krasnići, Alija. 2002. Đuvdimase bibahhtaljimate. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići (Kragujevac: Unigrafika).

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Ane mamijaći angalji. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići (Kragujevac: Studio D@M).

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Đilja amare dukhenđe. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići (Kragujevac: Studio D@M).

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. E ćehrajin pe palma. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Kaj garadol o suno? Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Kamljipe thaj dukhajpe. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Kasko si o kham? Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Ma rov dejone, munrrije. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Papo, mamije, kako, bibije. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Rromani arrmaj. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. So vaćaren e đuvdinutna? Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2004. Vurma palje vurma. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići.

Krasnići, Alija. 2005. E bahh paćardi ćorrimasa. Kragujevac: Maškaripe e rromane kulturako = Centar za kulturu Roma (Kragujevac: Marković).

Krasnići, Alija. 2006. Korkorripe hamime čerćimasa. Kragujevac: A. Krasnići (Kragujevac: Marković).

Berberski, Slobodan. 2001. Izabrane pesme Slobodana Berberskog, priredio Alija Krasnići. Kragujevac: Romski Informativni Centar.