Word: azania
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David M. Sibeko Pan-African Congress of Azania Mission to the U.N., New York City...
Zanier than Azania. As usual, Waugh is his own best character, full of a fascinating collection of human quirks, crotchets and quaverings. The most notable and characteristic scene in the book is the one where Tourist Waugh is induced to address a secretarial class at a Tanganyika commercial school on the subject of how to write English. Reports Waugh: "Like a P. G. Wodehouse hero I gazed desperately at the rows of dark, curious faces. 'Well.' I said. 'well. I have spent fifty-four years trying to learn English and I find I still have recourse...
...setting is the fictional island of Pharamaul, a British protectorate, which recalls Azania, the island invented by Novelist Evelyn Waugh as a basis for his superb and little-remembered tragic farce about Abyssinia, Black Mischief. It also evokes headline-real Bechuanaland, which recently welcomed back chastened Chief Seretse Khama after his six-year exile in London, imposed when Seretse married a white London typist. And finally, it resembles Kenya...
Author Waugh calls his imaginary African country "Azania," an independent island about the size of Madagascar but much farther north. Emperor of Azania is Seth, black as shiny coal but bursting with progressive ideas he has swallowed. As soon as he is firmly settled on his rickety throne he proceeds to regurgitate them in rapid succession. Pat to his purpose comes Basil Seal, outrageous example of London's outrageous young wastrels. Seth makes Basil head of the Bureau of Modernization, which before long practically takes over the government of the country. In off hours Basil has fun with Prudence...