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UBC Okanagan hosts conglanging documentary and panel discussion

Creators of Na’vi and Klingon explain the art of constructed languages
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A language creator writes their own language. photo:contributed

The art of creating languages—yes it is a thing—will be explained at a special event in Kelowna next week.

“People invent languages for so many reasons and it really is an artistic practice,” said UBC Okanagan’s Christine Schreyer, an associate professor in anthropology.

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Creating languages is called conlanging, explains Schreyer, who teaches in the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. Schreyer is part of UBC’s Language Sciences Initiative, and on Oct. 30 the group is hosting a screening of the documentary film Conlanging: The Art of Crafting Tongues.

After the film, Schreyer and two fellow specialists in constructed languages will talk about their work during a panel discussion.

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Panelists include:

  • Christine Schreyer, language creator for Man of Steel and Alpha
  • David Peterson, language creator for HBO’s Game of Thrones and others
  • Marc Okrand, language creator of Klingon for the Star Trek series

The free screening of Conlanging: The Art of Crafting Tongues is open to the public and takes place Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Mary Irwin Theatre in downtown Kelowna. Registration is required at conlangingkelowna_langscifilmseries.eventbrite.ca

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