'Moving, beautiful and important' FINANCIAL TIMES, BEST SUMMER BOOKS 2026'Punchy and persuasive' SUNDAY TIMESAs Sophia Smith Galer's Nonna lay dying, she realised it wasn't just a beloved grandmother she was losing - it was the language she spoke, too. From Northern Italy, she spoke a dialët that Sophia, like so many children and grandchildren of migrants, can understand but can't speak. With the death of the language, Sophia would lose a culture, a history, an inheritance - a whole world.This tragedy reaches far beyond her family. Globally we are witnessing an unprecedented mass extinction event. By the end of this century half of the world's 7000 languages will be gone, killed by war, climate breakdown, migration, nationalism or neglect, along with the vital knowledge that they have sustained for centuries.Award-winning journalist Smith Galer has journeyed across continents and generations to report from this disappearing world. From Ghana to Greece, Ecuador to Oman, California to the UK, she meets people experiencing this loss at first hand - but also campaigners and linguists who prove that a multilingual future is still possible. Her travels ultimately lead her back to where she began: to Italy, and the tiny mountainside village where the church bells still ring out for her Nonna.How to Kill a Language is an impassioned investigation into a hidden global crisis, and a call to speak, read and write the languages of our world, before it's too late.'An extremely moving, passionate plea' CAL FLYN'Everyone should read this book' OLIA HERCULES.
| ISBN: | 9780008834319 |
| Publication date: | 7th May 2026 |
| Author: | Sophia Smith Galer |
| Publisher: | William Collins an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 304 pages |
| Primary Genre | Popular Science |
| Other Genres: |
'Moving, beautiful and important' FINANCIAL TIMES, BEST SUMMER BOOKS 2026'Punchy and persuasive' SUNDAY TIMESAs Sophia Smith Galer's Nonna lay dying, she realised it wasn't just a beloved grandmother she was losing - it was the language she spoke, too. From Northern Italy, she spoke a dialët that Sophia, like so many children and grandchildren of migrants, can understand but can't speak. With the death of the language, Sophia would lose a culture, a history, an inheritance - a whole world.This tragedy reaches far beyond her family. Globally we are witnessing an unprecedented mass extinction event. By the end of this century half of the world's 7000 languages will be gone, killed by war, climate breakdown, migration, nationalism or neglect, along with the vital knowledge that they have sustained for centuries.Award-winning journalist Smith Galer has journeyed across continents and generations to report from this disappearing world. From Ghana to Greece, Ecuador to Oman, California to the UK, she meets people experiencing this loss at first hand - but also campaigners and linguists who prove that a multilingual future is still possible. Her travels ultimately lead her back to where she began: to Italy, and the tiny mountainside village where the church bells still ring out for her Nonna.How to Kill a Language is an impassioned investigation into a hidden global crisis, and a call to speak, read and write the languages of our world, before it's too late.'An extremely moving, passionate plea' CAL FLYN'Everyone should read this book' OLIA HERCULES.
How to Kill a Language features in the following genres: Popular Science, Language: history and general works, Climate change, Nationalism, Geopolitics, Language acquisition, Bilingualism and multilingualism, Reportage, journalism or collected columns, Globalization
How to Kill a Language is available in Paperback, Hardback
How to Kill a Language was written by Sophia Smith Galer and published by William Collins an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
How to Kill a Language has 304 pages
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