Ella Minnow Pea – Mark Dunn

The eponymous Miss Minnow Pea lives with her family on Nollop, a self-governing island off the coast of South Carolina (though do not expect to find it in the atlas). It does not need much governing, as the residents are law-abiding and settled in their somewhat conservative ways. Over the years the leadership has fostered a devotion to the arts, particularly the written word, and an aversion to modern technology. There is not even a telephone system, the islanders communicate by the exchange of letters and an efficient postal system.

In the circumstances it is no wonder the nation reveres their only famous son, Nevin Nollop, creator of the celebrated pangram (a phrase utilising all the letters of the alphabet) ‘the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’. As well as re-naming the island after him, they also raised a statue in his likeness on which his famous phrase is proudly spelt out in individual letter tiles.

All well and good, but when a tile falls, the letter Z, the ruling council meets in emergency session and concludes that it is a message from the high and mighty Nollop, and that message is that Z is no longer part of their alphabet. It should no longer be written, read, or spoken. Draconian penalties are put in place for offenders. It is zero tolerance; or would be if only a Z was available!

The community adapts, some better than others. Then the Q falls, followed by the J and K. When more ubiquitous letters follow, things get serious.

The story is told, appropriately, in epistolary form with letters criss-crossing the island, notes to family pinned on fridge doors, and edicts from on high issued by the council. These, of course get progressively harder to compose as the available alphabet shrinks, testing the inventive linguistic skills of the Nollopians to the limit. There is one way out – if a shorter pangram can be found, the god-like status of Nevin Nollop can be refuted, and life can return to normal. It is a challenge Ella, and a few other rebels, are willing to take up.

The simple but devastating premiss provides ample opportunity for absurd comedy, political allegory, and witty use of language. Mark Dunn takes it to the limit, creating a great little masterpiece.