The Making of DisPlace: Language as Politics

The Authority File

When writing DisPlace: The Poetry of Nduka Otiono, Nduka had to consider more than poetic devices, rhyme scheme, or syntax. Born in Nigeria and currently teaching in Ottawa, Ontario, Nduka had to wrestle with what language to write in—his native Ìgbò, English, or a mixture of both? These questions interrogated in the collection reflect a larger inquiry: What are the social and political implications of language use? As Nduka notes, “Language is politics. The moment we enter the realm of language, we have entered the realm of cultural politics.”

In this final episode, Nduka and Peter Midgley, editor of DisPlace, reflect on the politics of language. They highlight language’s ties to identity, the potential for English to absorb new languages, and how these topics relate to Nduka’s poetry. Nduka also reads two poems from DisPlace, “Today, Time Is the Eyeglass I Wear” and “A Chain of Requiems.” Our guests discuss the poems’ backgrounds and connections to major themes in the collection, like the presence of the spiritual realm, non-linear perceptions of time, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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