Speaking My Language

I recently read a speech addressed by Ngugi wa Thioung'o at the 2012 Sunday Times Literary Awards. Thioung'o is a Kenyan writer - his work includes novels, short stories, plays and essays, ranging from children's literature to literary and social criticism. In his address, he speaks profoundly on the topic of linguistic power-sharing; culture and the freedom of expression. His words are saturated in revelation and inspiration on two different levels; firstly for the writer, and secondly for the South African. 


For me, as a writer; Thioung'o takes me deeper into the very spirit of 'the writer' with his words:

"But like prophets and seers, writers are driven by a force, an irresistible desire to give to the inner pulses, the material form of sound, colour and word. This desire cannot be held back by laws, tradition, or religious restrictions. The song that must be sing will be sung; and if banned, they will hum it; and if humming is banned, they will dance it; and if dancing is banned, they will sing it silently to themselves or to the ears of those near, waiting for the appropriate moment to explode. Killing the singing goose is the only way of stopping the golden voice of conscience."

For me, as the english-speaking, white South African; I am awakened to the power of language within our context (that being an extremely diverse context which is still experiencing the rippled effects of colonisation, with a total of 11 official languages), and to the more complex reality of the social disposition of each tongue. 

"The second is the democratic access to the means of self-expression... One of the basic, most fundamental means of individual and communal self realization is language. That is why the right to language is a human right, like all the other rights, enshrined in the constitution. It's exercise in different ways communally and individually chosen, is a democratic right."

The words of Thioung'o drive me to the state of hunger. Hunger to appreciate the African language - to acknowledge, perceive and value them. Hunger to learn and humble my own self (my english language and it's social context), so as to lift the African language up. So as to let it rise to it's due place in our beautiful country. I say this in celebration of my language, my culture, the African language, and the African culture - and the beautiful mystery in the yoking of their worlds. It is in this world that I hope to find the writer in me.