In my novel 2125 – The Hibernator, everyone speaks two languages. One is the language of their own region, the other an international lingua franca. That could be English — more than a billion people speak it as a second language — but it could just as well be something else. The point is not which language wins, but that people can keep their own.

The idea comes from a world that, a century from now, is divided into countless small regions. Each with its own culture, its own customs, its own mother tongue, and its own local government. I’ve always found it an appealing thought: that people could fully belong to their own land and still share a language that connects us all.

Think of today’s conflict regions, where people are fighting for autonomy. In Europe alone: Catalonia, the Basque Country, Scotland, Wales, Corsica, Flanders. And globally: Kurdistan, Palestine, Somaliland, Papua New Guinea. What if all of these regions had their own status and the right to govern themselves?

In the world of my book, there is still a global government — not an empire, but a coordinating body that keeps cooperation alive between all those regions, and makes sure that wealth, knowledge, and resources are shared fairly.

Why am I writing this here? Because I’ve spent most of my life writing in Dutch, and now I find myself writing, publishing, and promoting in English. Not really a native and not because I want to be rich or famous, but because I feel it’s time we look at our global problems differently. We need to think further ahead, imagine more boldly, and allow ourselves to question the world we take for granted.

If that idea speaks to you: the ebook is now in pre-sale for €0.99.
You can find it on Amazon by searching for 2125 – The Hibernator.