I don’t know how to start either. I don’t know that anyone who can take decisions on this matter will read this, but it give me an occasion and an excuse to ramble and I shall take it.

I learned English for those books. It’s an anecdote I like to tell, particularly when giving advices to someone else for learning a language, particularly when speaking English is uncommon(-ish) in my country. You have no idea how much the publication of WoT got through in France (unless you’re a fellow french fan older than 15 years old, hi!) The translations were Not Great, it went through several publishers, and not long after R. Jordan’s death, a new new publisher took it and decided to re-do all the translations, from the start. I remember reading the news in 2011 or 2012, there were maybe three books left (oh if you don’t know also, each volume was divided in two for french translation when starting in english. It’s a longer winded language, just to say at this point I’ve like 25-30 WoT books), and they would not be translated before a optimistic 2018.

So I learned english. It was a very right move of my part, if I may say so myself, and not only because in the end the last books were not translated before 2020 or 2021. It was a great move because now I know english and I’ve been able to connect to some of my favorite people in the world (who themselves only speak English, silly people) that I’d have never met otherwise. Just because I love those books that much, it’s funny how small things can start doesn’t it?

And even before that. I read the Wheel of Time with my father. As a teenager, I’d go to our small town bookshop every time a new part of the translation was published and buy it with pocket money. Book ladies knew me after a while. I’d read it first then him, then we’d discuss or make references about it. Couldn’t continue after the aforementioned 2012 event though, I should get him a set of the full new translation for his birthday now that I’m thinking of it.
We watched the serie together though. It was great to be able to share it with him again, and I was able to drag my sibling to watch too! They said no to the books, but we watched the first two seasons when we saw each other for family events. Well yes, we’ve not been teenagers for a long time now, can’t share books as easily as when we all lived together, you know how it is.

The point is, this books serie, this serie, it matters a great deal to me. As something to share with my family, as an universe and characters I love, as the reason I’ve been able to meet so many people I love and how it opened the horizon for me. It was a joy to see it on screen, the cast was great, the filming, the outfits, all that. I loved seeing Mat with his quarterstaff, was awaiting the hat so eagerly! Many characters to love,but I think he’s my favorite and Dónal Finn.