It is often accepted that authors naturally write in their mother tongue, the language they learnt from the day they were born. However, there are some authors who can write and be successful in a language that isn’t their native language, creating works that are equal, if not sometimes more successful than their works in their first language. In this article, we will look at some of the world-famous authors who don’t write in their mother tongue.
Jhumpa Lahiri
An Indian-American author, Jhumpa Lahiri was born to Indian parents who spoke both Bengali and English throughout her upbringing. She only wrote in English until 2016, when she wrote her book ‘In Other Words’ which she wrote in Italian. This change of language came after an extended stay in Rome in 2012, where she decided to devote a large portion of her time to learn and read the Italian language, ultimately leading to her writing her first book written in a language other than English. Her book, which was later translated into English and gained a lot of popularity, speaking about her emotional connection to the Italian language and culture.
Milan Kundera
Czech-born author, Milan Kundera, is world-famous for his works such as ‘The Unbearable Lightness Of Being’ and ‘Guestbook’. Before moving to France in 1975, Kundera wrote exclusively in Czech, with most of his works dealing with the Czechoslovakia’s occupation from the Soviet Union. When he moved to France, however, he wrote all of his future works in the French language. This shift in language came with a tonal shift in his works, as his works focused not just on the themes of love and fate, which was predominant in his non-French works, but also on the universal conditions people have in their lives. This shift in language and topic ultimately lead to a very successful career in France, with him being nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in 2016.
Elif Shafak
Turkish-born Elif Shafak is one of the country’s best-recognized authors, with her famous works such as ‘The Forty Rules Of Love’ and ‘The Bastard Of Istanbul’. Growing up in Turkey, Shafak spoke both English and Turkish and considered herself to be bilingual. This is evident in her works as she writes in two main languages- English and Turkish. She is aware of the political context of writing in different languages, so she tries to use both languages to break the false nationalist beliefs and showcase the importance of discovering inner identities. Her creative works successfully showcase the thematic balance of east and west, which made her a globally successful author.
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Born in 1904, Isaac Bashevis Singer was a Polish-American author whose works mainly focused on the life of Jews in Poland before and during World War II. Growing up in Poland, his primary language was Yiddish. His knowledge with the language was barrier for him, as the Yiddish language had limited readers and was mainly associated with low class Jews. After moving to United States, however, he written all of his work in English. Despite the change of language, his works focused on the same topics he dealt with in his Yiddish works, with him having to explain many Yiddish words to the readers. His works were successful even in this transition, culminating in him winning the Nobel Prize in literature in 1978.
It is clear that authors enjoy the most success when writing in the language they are native in. But there are some extremely successful authors who decided to write in a language that wasn’t their mother tongue, having to endure all the struggles associated with the change in language. Authors such as Jhumpa Lahiri, Milan Kundera, Elif Shafak and Isaac Bashevis Singer all had to learn the language they chose to write in, having to face all the associated hardships to be successful.
These authors, however, managed to find success in their new language, with some even winning the Nobel Prize in literature. This shows us that despite the struggles authors face during their transition from one language to another, it is possible to be successful in writing in a language that isn’t their own.
