« Africa: not all doom and Joseph Conrad | HOME | Superb West Africa photos byHelge »

June 26, 2007

Sausage dogs, Whistler's Mother and Timbuktu

Have you ever given a speech on a topic that you know absolutely nothing about?

Over dinner last Friday night the conversation got onto this subject, and it reminded me of Alexander McCall-Smith's wonderful novel The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs, which is the only book I have ever started again straight after reading it the first time. The book gets its name from the scene in the opening chapter where the pompous philologist Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld travels to America to talk about his book 'Irregular Portuguese Verbs' and instead finds himself introduced to the audience as an expert on sausage dogs. Too proud to admit ignorance, he ad libs a speech. Read it - you will cry with laughter.

Mr Bean aficionados may remember a similar scene in Bean: the Movie. On a trip to America Mr Bean finds himself mistaken for an art expert and coerced into giving a speech on Whistler's masterpiece 'A Portrait of the Artist's Mother' - a speech so simple and touching that it earns him a standing ovation.

My total knowledge of the repair and archiving of ancient manuscripts could be written on a piece of confetti. So this evening I was surprised to receive invitations to Northwestern University and ISITA (Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa) to talk on the subject 'My Work with Manuscripts'. About a month ago I wrote to the director of the Timbuktu Manuscripts Project asking for help with my research for 'The Timbuktu Enigma', and although I did specify that I write fiction, this detail must have been overlooked. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to be hailed as an eminent archivist of Islamic writings.

What do you think? Should I accept the invitation to America and join Mr Bean and Professor von Igelfeld in the 'Winging It' hall of horrors? Or should I start writing my groom's speech instead?

Posted by sahelsteve at June 26, 2007 06:50 AM