Alexander McCall Smith, or Sandy to his friends and readers, has achieved many things this year but top of the list has to be the Christmas Day slot on BBC Radio 4 for one of his delightful short stories. And that is just one of four of his stories that will be available to listeners […]

A BBC Radio 3 Christmas treat for Alexander McCall Smith fans everywhere – Tune into BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday 17th December at 2pm. The best-selling author reads selections from his work, in a special concert of readings and appropriate music, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra with conductor David Parry. This is an extended broadcast that […]

Alexander McCall Smith, the best-selling author of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series, has shared his top story-writing tips with the 11-year-old winner of a Sunday Times Scotland short story writing competition. The author described the tale by Louisa Sheridan of Kelvinside Academy Junior School in Glasgow as “a little classic”. It told the story […]

These Are The Hands, a new album with words by Alexander McCall Smith and music composed by James Ross is now available. The music and the songs celebrate the presence of the sea in Scottish life, past and present. The sea defines Scotland’s character: it gives us our weather, our skies, and, even today, an important part of […]

A picture can paint a thousand words, but what about a vintage photograph? In 2015 Alexander McCall Smith wrote a book entitled Chance Developments: Unexpected Love Stories, in which he imagined the stories behind five chanced-upon black and white photographs. Who were those people, why were they smiling, what made them sad? He so enjoyed the experience that […]

A very good reason to celebrate: 2018 is the twentieth anniversary of publication of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith—20 years of delightfully different books, page-after-page of humanity, kindness, humour and forgiveness, and in short, sheer joy. The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series started life as a short story written for friends but took hold […]

Readers attending Alexander’s events in Dubai and Australia have been taken with a poem he read, The Language of Pilots. This poem is now included in Emirates Literature Festival 10th Anniversary book, For the Love of Words but we are pleased to reproduce it here too. The language of pilots By Alexander McCall Smith   They speak with […]

A Glorious photo-essay from Belmond—Alexander McCall Smith on safari with readers in Botswana: Don’t miss the chance of a lifetime to travel in Botswana with Alexander McCall Smith. Secure your place around the fire with a glass of champagne in hand while you listen to Alexander McCall Smith tell the tales of his beloved Botswana. […]

To mark the 20th anniversary of publication of  The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and to thank Alexander for increasing world-wide interest in Botswana, the charity Rhino Conservation Botswana are asking fans of the books to help choose a female rhino to carry the Precious Ramotswe name and to be an ambassador for the charity’s work in conservation. They have selected […]

Belmond Journeys in Africa is once again running a literary safari with Alexander McCall Smith. They promise a remarkable seven-day journey and those who have experienced this opportunity in previous years will agree that this magical holiday is not to be missed. Alexander will introduce fellow guests to the Botswana of Precious Ramotswe from his much loved […]

Iain McIntosh is the longtime illustrator of the jackets of Alexander McCall Smith’s books. Read on for a Q&A with him about his work and process of working with Alexander.