Thoughts and questions on Nobel Prize for Literature

[Miles]

No, RK Rowling did not win ;).

The German author Herta Müller seems to be more or less unknown outside the
German speaking countries. But I think her personal biography make her
interesting for many people, especially those who live and love their mother
tongues.

Müller was born in Romania as a member of the German minority. The German
speaking community, which began to settle in Transsylvania (sic) starting in
th 12th century, is still existing, but seems to die out in this century.
After the second World War, they were suppressed by the communist government
in Romania and had problems to cultivate and preserve language and
traditions. Many people left Romania, most of them came to Germany - among
them Herta Müller, who couldn't publish her books uncensored in her home
country.

Soon after she came to Germany, she became a prominent and successful
author, both praised by critics and read by many people. She never ceased to
accuse the - now former - Romanian government and the still unpunished
members of the Romanian secret police, Securitate. But I think there is
something about her that is interesting beyond politics and civil rights.

Müller is a person whose home is not really a country, state, or nation. Her
home is her language - the one thing that ties the Romanian Germans
together, the personal shell she took from Romania to Germany.

I know there are several listies who left their home country and now live in
a country with another language. How do you feel about your "old" and "new"
language? Still homesick when listening to the old one, totally homelike in
the new one?

Several other listies do participate here in English, but only know it as a
second or third language, still living in their home countries. How do you
feel about reading and writing in English? Do you feel comfortable, are you
translating what you write here? Could you imagine to live in Britain,
Australia, or the US?

How about members who are native speakers of English, but live abroad? Do
you feel at home in your language? Did or do you learn the language of the
people you now live with?

Miles, who waits for other answers before answering to his own question


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