Who said “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the…”?

Verified

Derek Walcott. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Sourcefor The Paris Review (1986)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

“The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.”
Verifiedfor The Paris Review (1986) · evidenceLanguage

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: for The Paris Review (1986).

APA

Walcott, D. (n.d.). The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25370-the-english-language-is-nobodys-special-property-it/

MLA

Walcott, Derek. “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25370-the-english-language-is-nobodys-special-property-it/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Walcott, Derek. “The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/25370-the-english-language-is-nobodys-special-property-it/.