He traded the Pennines for a new life in the Balkans.
But Mirfield-born writer Paul Alkazraji still looks forward to returning home to his Huddersfield roots each year.
The former Huddersfield Technical College student has made a new life in southern Albania, close to the Greek border, after visiting the country in the late 1990s for work and meeting his wife Albana there.
Now, after penning his first fictional thriller, The Silencer, the father-of-one says it’s good to be home – even if it is for just a short visit.
“I do like coming back here and have always liked Huddersfield,” said Paul. “Life here is more peaceful, clean and ordered than in the Balkans.
“I love to wander around the town centre and enjoy the simple things like a good cup of coffee or a portion of fish and chips.
“But I do like living in Albania. The climate is great for starters and they are such warm, hospitable people.
“Albanians are very committed to the family and all look after each other.
“But it took a lot of adjustment with the language.
“The country has its problems too. There’s corruption and a lack of employment there. The people manage in very difficult circumstances.”
Paul, whose mother Jean Hodgson still lives in Marsh, was brought up in the Spen Valley.
He attended Scholes Infant School, Whitechapel Middle School and Whitcliffe Mount High School before studying business at Huddersfield Technical College.
He later graduated from Bath University with a business degree and then worked as a freelance journalist during the 1990s, writing arts and travel features for publications including The Independent.
He penned the biographies of Bristol Rovers ex-football hooligan Dave Jeal and of Bristol missionary Ian Loring in Christ and the Kalashnikov, before heading to Albania to cover a story.
“I went to Albania as a reporter just before the Kosovo crisis,” said Paul.
“You never can tell how a single trip can change the course of your life.”
The couple have a five-year-old son, Haniel, and have made Albania their home since 2003.
Paul, who runs a magazine for churches in Albania, set about writing his latest thriller, The Silencer, in 2001.
The story is about a man’s attempt to publish a book set against a background of Turkey’s inner conflicts, murders and other setbacks.
It is available to buy online or in bookshops.
