Albanian Sworn Virgins

Now here’s a funny thing. As my work schedule slowly builds up to a travelling crescendo I need to work into my studying, I’ve been looking into potential photographic projects in the countries I’ll be working in over the next few months. Commissioned by Thomas Cook Publishing to write a new guidebook to Albania it naturally follows that I’m going to be spending a reasonably large amount of time there this spring. During my initial research into the country I found out about the so-called Albanian Sworn Virgins, Albanian women from the north of the country as well as in parts of Montenegro and Kosovo who live their lives as men. The leading English-speaking expert on the subject is the English academic Antonia Young, who among other things has written a rather fascinating book on the subject. After contacting her it not only turns out that she’s good friends with my company’s business partner in Albania but also wrote a piece for the Guardian last year, which she sent me a pdf of. She also sent me the email address of the photographer who provided the pictures for the article, an Englishman by the name of Ben Speck. A quick Google revealed the extraordinary fact that Ben Speck graduated with an MA in photojournalism and documentary photography in December 2006 at the London College of Communication. How spooky is that? It turns out his final course project was about the Albanian Sworn Virgins, and the Guardian piece was commissioned after his final show was spotted by somebody at the newspaper. I now have to go back to the drawing board, but at least I do have the comforting thought that the course is producing professional results. I’ve emailed Ben, and am looking forward to getting some more information from him. Watch this space!