In her novel, Scattered Over the Earth, Yoko Tawada writes the story of our times, where home is not fixed in a particular place, gender identities are fluid, and the mother tongues are Khichdi of many languages. In the novel, Tawada questions fundamental premises regarding our understanding of languages. She says that when we distinguish between a language and a dialect, we engage in a political act. The power relationship between the speakers decides the difference between the language and dialect. The novel is laden with such insights about languages, culture and identities.
The characters in the novel are from Denmark, a Greenlander who takes the identity of a Japanese chef, a couple of Japanese fellas who have lost their country to an environmental disaster, a gender-fluid desi and a German. They all are on a quest. The quest takes them to places across Scandinavia and Western Europe.
I loved Tawada’s other novel, Memoirs of a Polar Bear, where three generations of polar bears narrate their story, starting from the Soviet times to the era of climate change. It was a humorous take on communist and liberal societies. Her writings bring a breath of fresh air and style to the literary space.