In this personal essay, the author of “My Sister, the Serial Killer” explores the vulnerable journey of reclaiming her heritage. Learning Yoruba alongside her 18-month-old daughter becomes both an intimate family ritual and a reckoning with cultural loss for a writer who understands the language but cannot speak it fluently. Raised between Britain and Nigeria, the author reflects on how English became dominant while Yoruba slipped into the background, despite its deep emotional pull. As she relearns tones, accents, and proverbs, the language reveals its musical complexity and expressive power, especially in writing. Gradually, Yoruba begins to reenter her creative work, imperfect but alive. This shared journey with her child becomes an act of reclamation—proof that reconnecting with a mother tongue is not about fluency, but belonging.
Financial Times
