Alexander McCall Smith Podcast

Alexander McCall Smith Podcast Alexander McCall Smith Podcast

About our Guest

Alexander McCall Smith CBE, known affectionately to his friends as ‘Sandy’, is unquestionably one of the world’s most prolific and best-loved authors. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad before turning his hand to writing fiction.

Since his first children’s book The White Hippo (Hamish Hamilton) was published in 1980 he has written over a hundred books including a number of long-running mystery series, stand-alone novels, children’s books, collections of short stories (most recently  Tiny Tales), and now his first poetry collection entitled In a Time of Distance.

It wasn’t the first volume of the highly successful The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series was published in 1998, that Alexander became a full-time writer. Over the last 22 years these Botswana-set stories have sold over twenty million copies in the English language. In this podcast you can hear him introducing the 21st title in this bestselling series called How to Raise an Elephant.

His work has been translated into over forty-six languages and this Autumn alone he sets a new personal record with an impressive FOUR new titles being published in the UK! It is these four new books which are discussed on our podcast.

As his fans will be aware, in addition to No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Alexander also writes several other series of books known as: Isabel Dalhousie, Corduroy Mansions, The Talented Mr Varg, Von Igelfeld and of course 44 Scotland Street, set in his beloved Edinburgh. During this podcast he introduces the 14th title in this series, which was first serialised in the Scotsman tantalisingly entitled, A Promise of Ankles.

You can find out more about his writing and the literary accolades that have deservedly been bestowed upon him by visiting his website .

Alexander McCall Smith author photo

The Podcast Bookshop

If you would like to order a personalised signed copy of the books that were featured in the podcast you can place your order by clicking on the picture of the front cover of the book below.

*Please be aware that this offer is only available for a limited period of time

As our copies will be individually dedicated it is only possible to order a single copy of each title per order.

All prices include postage to addresses in the United Kingdom

International customers wishing to buy from abroad or use an overseas delivery address are kindly invited to contact us directly to place their order.

In a Nutshell

The Madman's Library front cover
  • Tea or Coffee: Latte coffee
  • Snack of Choice: Cheese scone
  • Handwritten or typed first draft: Typed straight out
  • Digital or Physical Library: Printed books, although digital and audio versions have their uses
  • Recent Reading Discovery: The Madman's Library by Edward Brooke-Hitching
  • Special Book to Save: Kay's Edinburgh Portraits
  • Fantasy Lockdown Location: West Coast of Scotland