For fans in Kenya, Nigeria, and Burundi, “uncringing” non-English fanfiction is an endeavor in decolonialism.
If I post a fic in Isoko, how many people can actually read it? English makes fanfic feel universal, while local languages can make it feel limited. But I do think younger generations might experiment more and start mixing languages. Our local languages carry emotions and textures that readers crave—whether they admit it or not.
In our latest, Soila Kenya interviews Nigerian fic writer si11yw0rm alongside other fans from Kenya and Burundi about the dominance of English in fandom. Colonialism has created a system of linguistic capital, Soila writes, that affects how fans feel fanfic should be written.
Click through to read the piece or listen to an audio version!



















