The Brexit debate has been accompanied by a rise in hostile attitudes to multilingualism. However, cities can provide an important counter-weight to political polarisation by forging civic identities that embrace diversity. In this timely book, Yaron Matras describes the emergence of a city language narrative that embraces and celebrates multilingualism and helps forge a civic identity. He critiques linguaphobic discourses at a national level that regard multilingualism as deficient citizenship. Drawing on his research in Manchester, he examines the 'multilingual utopia', looking at multilingual spaces across sectors in the city that support access, heritage, skills and celebration. The book explores the tensions between decolonial approaches that inspire activism for social justice and equality, and the neoliberal enterprise that appropriates diversity for reputational and profitability purposes, prompting critical reflection on calls for civic university engagement. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about ways to protect cultural pluralism in our society.

Finalist, 2025 PROSE- Humanities, Association of American Publishers

‘Speech and the City tells the story of ‘Multilingual Manchester’ and how an academic project succeeded in shifting the monolingual habitus. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the author’s distinguished career as a linguist, scholar, and activist.’

Ingrid Piller - Author of Linguistic Diversity and Social Justice

‘This book documents and theorises 10 years of extraordinary innovation, forging an activist sociolinguistics that reaches through most of the walls within and around the academy. Impassioned, powerful and provocative, it is also a lived exploration of decolonial openings in a neoliberal system.’

Ben Rampton - Professor of Applied & Sociolinguistics, King’s College London