㰀⼀琀搀㸀 㰀琀搀 瘀愀氀椀最渀㴀∀琀漀瀀∀ 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㔀瀀砀∀ 戀最挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀ 昀 ∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀 㰀琀搀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀∀㔀瀀砀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀琀搀㸀
Writing in a Second Language
㰀瀀㸀㰀戀㸀䄀 匀瀀攀挀椀愀氀 䤀猀猀甀攀 漀昀 䤀渀 倀漀猀猀攀 刀攀瘀椀攀眀㰀⼀戀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀 "Ma patrie," wrote existentialist writer Albert Camus, "c'est la langue française" ("My home is the French language"). Camus was born and raised in Algeria, and moved to France during the Second World War. Though his native language was French, he remained North African at heart until his death in 1960. But no matter where he found himself, the French language gave him a sense of identity, hence the above quote.
㰀倀㸀 䤀渀 愀 猀椀洀椀氀愀爀 洀愀渀渀攀爀Ⰰ 眀爀椀琀攀爀猀 挀愀渀 搀攀挀椀搀攀Ⰰ 昀漀爀 愀 洀甀氀琀椀琀甀搀攀 漀昀 爀攀愀猀漀渀猀Ⰰ 琀漀 攀砀椀氀攀 琀栀攀洀猀攀氀瘀攀猀Ⰰ 渀漀琀 椀渀 愀渀漀琀栀攀爀 挀漀甀渀琀爀礀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 愀渀漀琀栀攀爀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 愀搀漀瀀琀 愀渀搀 攀洀戀爀愀挀攀 椀琀Ⰰ 眀爀攀猀琀氀攀 眀椀琀栀 椀琀Ⰰ 琀爀礀 琀漀 琀愀洀攀 琀栀攀 戀攀愀猀琀⸀ 䔀瘀攀渀琀甀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 椀昀 琀栀攀礀 眀漀爀欀 氀漀渀最 愀渀搀 栀愀爀搀 攀渀漀甀最栀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀 戀攀挀漀洀攀 漀渀攀 眀椀琀栀 椀琀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀Many authors have successfully written in a language other than their mother tongue: Samuel Beckett, Andreï Makine, and Milan Kundera in French; Joseph Conrad (Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski), Vladimir Nabokov, Jerzy Kosiński, Louis Begley (Ludwig Beglejter), Ha Jin and many others in English. I have no doubt that there are plenty of other valid examples, in a wide variety of languages all over this planet of ours.㰀倀㸀 圀爀椀琀椀渀最 椀渀 愀 猀攀挀漀渀搀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀 椀猀 氀愀戀漀爀 椀渀琀攀渀猀椀瘀攀 愀渀搀 猀挀愀爀礀⸀ 䰀愀渀最甀愀最攀 椀猀 渀漀琀 洀攀爀攀氀礀 愀 樀甀砀琀愀瀀漀猀椀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 眀漀爀搀猀Ⰰ 椀琀 愀氀猀漀 挀愀爀爀椀攀猀 栀甀最攀 挀甀氀琀甀爀愀氀 戀愀最最愀最攀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 漀渀攀 琀栀椀渀最 琀漀 欀渀漀眀 栀漀眀 琀漀 洀愀猀琀攀爀 愀 昀漀爀攀椀最渀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀Ⰰ 愀 眀爀椀琀攀爀 洀甀猀琀 愀氀猀漀 椀渀挀漀爀瀀漀爀愀琀攀 眀栀愀琀 椀琀 挀漀渀琀愀椀渀猀☀⌀㔀㬀栀椀猀琀漀爀礀Ⰰ 挀甀氀琀甀爀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 挀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀瘀攀 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀猀 漀昀 愀 氀椀渀最甀椀猀琀椀挀 最爀漀甀瀀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀
On the other hand, writing in a language other than one's own can be liberating. If you're an Italian writer, Dante Alighieri, Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco are towering over you as you sit at your computer. If you're Russian, Fyordor Dostoevsky, Vasily Grossman and Joseph Brodsky are looming. But by switching to another language, you shoo away those gigantic monkeys off your back.
㰀倀㸀 䔀⸀倀⸀ 䌀栀椀攀眀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀漀爀礀 䈀甀猀栀 䈀甀爀渀椀渀最 ⠀椀渀 漀甀爀 匀栀漀爀琀 䘀椀挀琀椀漀渀 猀攀挀琀椀漀渀⤀Ⰰ 漀昀昀攀爀猀 琀栀攀猀攀 琀栀漀甀最栀琀猀 愀戀漀甀琀 栀攀爀 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀㨀 ∀伀挀挀愀猀椀漀渀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 漀甀琀 漀昀 猀攀氀昀ⴀ椀渀昀氀椀挀琀攀搀 瀀愀爀愀渀漀椀愀Ⰰ 䤀 搀攀猀瀀愀椀爀 漀昀 攀瘀攀爀 爀攀愀挀栀椀渀最 搀攀挀攀渀琀 氀椀琀攀爀愀爀礀 栀攀椀最栀琀猀 嬀椀渀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀崀Ⰰ 眀栀攀爀攀 洀礀 眀漀爀欀 眀椀氀氀 戀攀 爀攀猀瀀攀挀琀攀搀 戀礀 瀀攀攀爀猀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 琀栀攀 搀攀猀瀀愀椀爀 椀猀 愀 猀瀀甀爀 琀漀 椀洀瀀爀漀瘀攀 愀猀 眀攀氀氀⸀ 䤀琀✀猀 瀀攀爀栀愀瀀猀 渀漀琀 猀甀爀瀀爀椀猀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 愀 氀漀琀 漀昀 眀爀椀琀攀爀猀 眀爀椀琀椀渀最 椀渀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀 愀猀 愀 猀攀挀漀渀搀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀 洀椀最栀琀 昀攀攀氀 椀渀愀搀攀焀甀愀琀攀Ⰰ 瀀攀爀栀愀瀀猀 挀漀渀昀爀漀渀琀攀搀 戀礀 琀栀攀椀爀 漀眀渀 椀渀猀攀挀甀爀椀琀椀攀猀 洀漀爀攀 琀栀愀渀 愀渀礀琀栀椀渀最 攀氀猀攀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀琀✀猀 瀀攀爀栀愀瀀猀 愀氀猀漀 琀爀甀攀 琀栀愀琀 椀琀 欀攀攀瀀猀 洀攀 瘀椀最椀氀愀渀琀⸀∀ 㰀⼀倀㸀I.R. Herrad, whose mother tongue is German, writes: "It's strange. I can write in English in a way, and about things, I couldn't in German. I find it easier to write nonfiction in German, because as a language is it more precise. But English has a wonderful elasticity and flexibility, you can bend it and weave it into strange shapes and it still continues to make sense." Imogen's fine story The Colour of her Music can be found in our Mystery, Crime, Science Fiction section.
㰀倀㸀 㰀攀洀㸀䤀渀 倀漀猀猀攀 刀攀瘀椀攀眀 ㈀㈀㰀⼀攀洀㸀 昀攀愀琀甀爀攀猀 眀爀椀琀攀爀猀 眀栀漀 眀攀爀攀 戀漀爀渀 ⠀愀洀漀渀最 漀琀栀攀爀 瀀氀愀挀攀猀⤀ 椀渀 一椀最攀爀椀愀Ⰰ 䤀渀搀椀愀Ⰰ 䨀愀瀀愀渀Ⰰ 䴀愀氀愀礀猀椀愀 愀渀搀 䈀愀栀爀愀椀渀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀攀椀爀 渀愀琀椀瘀攀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀 愀爀攀 夀漀爀甀戀愀Ⰰ 匀眀攀搀椀猀栀Ⰰ 吀攀氀攀最甀Ⰰ 刀甀猀猀椀愀渀Ⰰ 䤀戀椀戀椀漀Ⰰ 䜀攀爀洀愀渀Ⰰ 䄀爀愀戀椀挀 愀渀搀 䌀愀渀琀漀渀攀猀攀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 戀爀椀渀最 琀漀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 猀攀琀 漀昀 瘀愀氀甀攀猀Ⰰ 椀搀攀愀猀Ⰰ 眀愀礀猀 漀昀 猀攀攀椀渀最 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀⸀ 吀栀椀猀 氀椀琀攀爀愀爀礀 挀爀漀猀猀ⴀ瀀漀氀氀椀渀愀琀椀漀渀 挀愀渀 瀀爀漀搀甀挀攀 昀愀猀挀椀渀愀琀椀渀最 爀攀猀甀氀琀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 眀攀 戀攀氀椀攀瘀攀 琀栀愀琀 琀栀椀猀 猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀 椀猀猀甀攀 漀昀 㰀攀洀㸀䤀渀 倀漀猀猀攀 刀攀瘀椀攀眀㰀⼀攀洀㸀 眀椀氀氀 洀愀欀攀 昀漀爀 愀 琀攀爀爀椀昀椀挀 爀攀愀搀椀渀最 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀
Jean Charbonneau
䔀搀椀琀漀爀ⴀ椀渀ⴀ挀栀椀攀昀Ⰰ 㰀攀洀㸀䤀渀 倀漀猀猀攀 刀攀瘀椀攀眀㰀⼀攀洀㸀 㰀⼀瀀㸀
㰀戀爀 ⼀㸀
㰀搀椀瘀 椀搀㴀∀氀漀最漀∀㸀㰀攀洀㸀䤀渀 倀漀猀猀攀㨀㰀⼀攀洀㸀 倀漀琀攀渀琀椀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 洀椀最栀琀 戀攀 ⸀ ⸀ ⸀ 㰀⼀搀椀瘀㸀
㰀瀀㸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀∀琀攀搀栀攀愀搀⸀最椀昀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀ 愀氀琀㴀∀氀漀最漀∀ ⼀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀
㰀栀㌀㸀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀攀戀搀攀氀猀漀氀⸀挀漀洀⼀䤀渀倀漀猀猀攀⼀椀渀搀攀砀⸀栀琀洀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀∀爀椀最栀琀∀㸀 刀攀琀甀爀渀㰀⼀愀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀⼀栀㌀㸀
㰀⼀琀搀㸀㰀⼀琀爀㸀㰀⼀琀愀戀氀攀㸀㰀⼀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀㰀⼀戀漀搀礀㸀㰀⼀栀琀洀氀㸀