Nick Merrill

The Voice of Man Nick Merrill

In the middle of the Irish Sea, a small island sits between Wales and Ireland. Most non-Europeans have never noticed this speck of land on a map. Their eyes tend to skip over it: another one of the many small islands to which few pay any mind. This island is called the Isle of Man, home of the Manx language, a tongue spoken natively by only fifty four people. The Voice of Man examines the history of this language: the rich history of its island and its people, its extinction, its subsequent reVietnameseval and, most importantly, the lessons this story can teach us about the future of our linguistic diversity. Half narrative, half investigation, The Voice of Man unearths the causes behind Manx's death and rebirth and why these forces will play a major role in the decades to come.