Alice Taylor: The Journalist Who Made Albania Her Home

What happens when a three-day holiday turns into a lifetime commitment?

Alice Taylor visited Albania in 2017, and never left. In this powerful episode of Tea with ALSA UK, we sit down with the British-born journalist who has become one of Albania’s most recognisable storytellers.

Now a naturalised Albanian citizen, Alice shares the deeply personal and political reasons behind her move, her career in journalism, and what it means to belong somewhere new. From raising a daughter in Albania to covering corruption, culture, and democracy, this is a conversation about roots, resilience, and rewriting the narrative from within.

You’ll hear about:

Her unexpected move from Malta to Albania
The cultural challenges and joys of living in Tirana
Building a journalism career as a foreigner in the Balkans
Publishing Inside Albania and why it matters
What the diaspora needs to understand about today’s Albania
Her advice for others who feel caught between countries, cultures, or careers

📌 Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Who is Alice Taylor?
01:42 – Moving to Albania: A 3-Day Trip That Changed Everything
04:00 – Family, Identity & Reactions from Back Home
07:10 – Studying Law, Working in Malta & Finding Journalism
09:40 – Why Do We Talk About Diaspora So Much? (Migration History)
13:00 – The Early Culture Shocks in Albania
17:30 – Documenting Her Life on Social Media
20:00 – Advice on Sharing Your Story Online
23:00 – Journalism in Albania: Building Trust & Covering Tough Stories
27:00 – Why She Created Inside Albania on Euronews
30:20 – One Story That Stuck With Her
33:30 – Writing Inside Albania: Process & Personal Meaning
37:00 – The Role of Her Earlier Books on North Albania
39:40 – How Language Transformed Her Life in Albania
42:00 – Raising Her Daughter in Albania vs the UK
45:30 – Misconceptions Diaspora Have About Albania
48:10 – Underreported Issues Foreign Media Misses
51:00 – What Albanians Themselves Don’t Realise
53:30 – Advice to Diaspora Thinking About Moving Back
56:00 – Final Reflections: Home, Identity & the Power of Storytelling

🎯 Watch this if you want to:

Learn what it’s really like to move to Albania from abroad
Understand the complexities of identity, citizenship, and cultural belonging
Hear how journalism can shape national narratives
Get inspired to live boldly, even if it’s not what you planned

👤 Connect with Alice Taylor:
📚 Buy her new book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F9B5FQRM
🔗 LinkedIn:   / aliceopheliataylor  
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliceinalba...
🎥 TikTok:   / alice.in.albania  
🌍 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aliceinalbania

🔗 Follow ALSA UK:
🌐 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/alsauk
👥 Join the ALSA UK Community: https://www.alsauk.co.uk/membership
📸 Instagram:   / alsa_uk_  
📺 YouTube:    / @alsa_uk  
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/76KXivr...
📩 Email: [email protected]