The Immortalist

TONGUE INTERNATIONAL is a satirical fantasy about a new language invented by a small company, which people are charged for the privilege of speaking and writing. Through skilful marketing, the language becomes a dominant idiom of international communication, even though it has several basic design weaknesses - as the vocabulary grows, users have to hold certain objects in their hand to indicate shifting levels of emphasis. The company corners the market in manufacturing these objects, as well as clip-on pouches to hold them which people are obliged to wear at all times. More and more people discover that it is easier to work things out in their sleep (where natural language reverts) and economies are crippled as captains of industry try to get as much sleep as possible. Charting the deals negotiated by the company to secure a schools monopoly and the speech- fights launched by rebel campaigners who sabotage broadcasts and heckle politicians with English, TONGUE INTERNATIONAL is a brilliantly biting satire on cultural dominance and a hilarious look at the use and abuse of language in all aspects of public life from one of the most talented comic writers of our time.