Comments on: Multiculturalism and Writing

By: Tatjana van der Krabben

Tatjana van der Krabben — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:31:27 +0000

I love how languages are never a 100% match. It’s a conceptual challenge that really challenges you to think about what you to write and how. Being Dutch and writing in English I deal with similar issues. I met people I otherwise never would have interacted with. Loving it.

By: Piu Eatwell

Piu Eatwell — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 11:43:21 +0000

Very interesting piece. Another aspect if ‘multiculturalism’ in writing is the general expectation that mixed race or multicultural authors should have to write about ‘multi culural’ subjects, ie as a British author of mixed Indian/British origins, there is a general expectation that I should write about racial issues. The fact is I don’t. Although my background might inform my general perspective as a writer – ie a generally cosmopolitan outlook – I don’t see why I should be pigeon holed into writing about ‘racial’ issues.

By: Bente Gallagher

Bente Gallagher — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 12:49:06 +0000

In reply to Monika Ribeiro. It's funny you both should say that, because I'm another Norwegian writing in English, and I find the opposite to be true. In most cases, I find Norwegian to be much more accurate and detailed. After twenty-five years of living, thinking, and dreaming in English, when I write, there are still times when Norwegian expressions come to mind, and when I try to translate them, I realize it's because they're more descriptive of what I'm trying to say than any English ones. But of course that might be just me.

By: Monika Ribeiro

Monika Ribeiro — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 23:41:19 +0000

Berit,

I agree with the statement you made about the English language being ‘a language which has terms and expressions that are more accurate than my own language,…’

I was born and brought up in Poland, therefore Polish is my mother tongue. However, I find English to come more naturally. Almost from the beginning of my stay in the UK (10 years now), I began to find myself thinking in the language. Skill was being added as I continued to learn, read and write in English. Yet, my appreciation for it’s creative freedom preceded all of the above, Monika Ribeiro

By: Anjali

Anjali — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:46:06 +0000

This was a very interesting read. I was born in India, where there are so many languages and has a rich literary history in both English and other languages. But for me the word ‘second’ language is a misnomer, as most of us study in English, think in English but with a unique Indian-ness to it, which makes it both quirky but at the same time causes problems when being read by an ‘English’-as-a-‘first- language-person, but not so much because of the language, but the cultural connotations, in which it is used!

By: debs

debs — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 08:13:48 +0000

Berit, you have such a beautiful, distinctive voice in your writing.

Do you feel that this is, in part, a product of writing in a second language?

By: Interview in Women Writers | Berit Ellingsen - Fiction Writer

Interview in Women Writers | Berit Ellingsen - Fiction Writer — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 23:34:38 +0000

[…] interview about multiculturalism and writing in another language than your first, on the website for and […]

By: Marialena

Marialena — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:03:29 +0000

How fascinating! Of course, amazing writing has come from using a non-native language: Conrad and Pessoa, for example. I look forward to reading your work. Having done some translating, it truly is an imperfect art and necessarily loses from the original voice. Thanks for this article, Berit!

By: Fran

Fran — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 05:49:38 +0000

Being born and bred in England I always admire people from around the world who have command of two langauges.(Or more). When I was growing up there was not much emphasis on being fluent in another language. I feel I miss the flow and local dialect etc if I read a transaltion. e.g Gabriel Garcia Marquez. As much as I love his books I often wonder if I miss just an extra flavour of something that can get lost in translation.
Thanks for submitting this piece and good luck with your writing.