In August 1882, the Zulu king Cetshwayo came to London. The British had deposed him from his rightful status as Zulu king and forced him into exile. He came to London hoping to petition the British government against his continued exile and the threatened incorporation of KwaZulu territory into the white settler colony of Natal.
This report (in 'Black Victorians - Black Victoriana', edited by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina) fascinated me. I knew there was a story in there. But did I have the skill to write about the Zulu king? I eventually decided that I did not, and instead devised a story about a visit by a young prince from a fictional West African country. That resulted in a novella. But the situation, a royal visitor from a port country exploring London, had great potential. I am presently writing a sequel, and am drafting notes for a third story set in the Great War.
