MOTHER TONGUES LIBRARY

JULY 22 — AUGUST 12, 2020

mother tongues opens up an online library of essays, plays, zines and novels about language in relation to decolonisation, feminism and knowledge, to which everyone can contribute with adjacent texts and ideas. Arranged in a Google Drive shelf, the multilingual archive is free to be explored, translated, borrowed, lent and interpreted.

The library is launched in the framework of Quote—Unquote. Over the first three weeks, six selections will be presented by the collective, unveiling language as a tool that is interconnected with multiple people, cultures and histories. After August 12, it will take a life of its own expanding with other ramifications.

We invite you to read the guide devised by mother tongues, available below, and get involved in any way you find suitable. Follow the links below to tap into this DIY library:
mother tongues library — Google Drive shelf
mother tongues library guide — how to contribute
mother tongues library index — search and add works

BIO

mother tongues is an interdisciplinary and research-led project applying decolonial, feminist and queer concepts in exploring language in relation to archives, history and community. 

We host translation parties/workshops at archives and libraries, such as the Feminist Library, Mayday rooms and 56a Archive. We have also collaborated with DIY Space for London Print Collective on co-hosting the translation and print workshop Translate, Rework, Print. 

The translation parties aim to celebrate our shared multilingual histories, experiment with diy translation, encourage interaction with historical materials as well as engage with and challenge the language used around collections.