The English Language and Non-Native Writers of Fiction

Abstract

Although fiction in English by non-native authors is one of long standing, there has been in the last two decades a surge in novels and short stories written by individuals whose native language is not English or by bilingual authors whose native command of a language other than English has been used to advantage in furthering the stylistic effect of their works. This paper explores the actual (and potential) contribution of four such writers (two Arab: Ahdaf  Soueifand Ibrahim Fawal, and two Indian: Rohinton Mistry and Arundhati Roy) to the English language in terms of words, phrases, idioms and fixed expressions as well as broader elements of tone and emphasis. Extensive reference is also made to other Arab as well as African and Chinese novelists. The paper finds that longer strings are more readily recognizable as additions to English than single words, notwithstanding the legitimacy of many word-additions. It also looks into some practical considerations like the need or otherwise of textual glossing, glossaries as appendices and italicization..