Romancing the Language: A Writer’s Lasting Love Affair with English

Book excerpt: I had fallen head over heels in love with a foreign language that others in my community were indifferent to, had grudgingly learnt or positively hated. I embraced the English language fully, wanting to learn everything about it, to celebrate it and serve it, like the completely enamoured and enslaved lover. This delightful collection of essays by Catherine Lim explores her love affair with the English language through her stories and anecdotes about her encounters with the language. As the author explains, “This book is primarily to satirise (and also to celebrate) my special relationship with the English Language … I actually want the reader to smile a little and think, ‘That’s vintage Catherine Lim, a mix of wit and bluster and showing off!’”