Alexander Mccall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith has written more than fifty books, including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children's books. But he is best known for his internationally acclaimed No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, published in the US in 2002 and 2003. The first installment, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, received two Booker Judge's Special Recommendations upon its U.K. publication in 1998, and in 2003 received The Saga Wit Award (commonly known as the "silver Booker" for authors over the age of 50). The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series now numbers a total of five books (he is working on the sixth) and has been optioned for feature film. The series has become an international bestseller, with more than 3.5 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.

McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe (formerly called Southern Rhodesia) and was educated there and in Scotland. He became a law professor in Scotland, and it was in this role that he first returned to Africa to work in Botswana, where he helped to set up a new law school at the University of Botswana. He is currently Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh, but has been a visiting professor at a number of other universities elsewhere, including ones in Italy and the United States (where he has twice been visiting professor at SMU Law School in Dallas, Texas).

In addition to his university work, he was for four years the vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the UK, the chairman of the British Medical Journal Ethics Committee, and a member of the International Bioethics Commission of UNESCO.

Alexander McCall Smith currently lives in Edinburgh with his wife Elizabeth (an Edinburgh doctor), their two daughters Lucy and Emily, and their cat Gordon. His hobbies include playing wind instruments, and he is the co-founder of an amateur orchestra called "The Really Terrible Orchestra" in which he plays the bassoon and his wife plays the flute.

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Featured Books, with extracts by Alexander Mccall Smith

Precious and the Monkeys
Alexander Mccall Smith
Well before Precious Ramotswe founded her Number One Ladies' Detective Agency, as an eight-year-old girl she was already solving mysteries. Here, in this delightful, enchanting tale for children, we find out just who has been stealing her schoolfriends' snacks and...
Featured in: 7+ readers | 9+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Hardback - Released: 28/06/2011
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Akimbo And The Baboons
Alexander Mccall Smith
A fascinating insight into African wildlife. In this new story about Akimbo, a young boy growing up on a game reserve, he learns all about baboons and discovers some of the dangers that surround them. For more African adventures by the...
Featured in: 7+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 03/03/2008
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Akimbo And The Snakes
Alexander Mccall Smith
A visit to a snake park! Akimbo is used to all kinds of wildlife as his father works in an African game reserve, but a visit to a snake park is something very special. Taken by his Uncle, Akimbo sets...
Featured in: 5+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 04/09/2006
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The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean
Alexander Mccall Smith
When Harriet turns nine, her father says, “Your aunts would like to hear about that!” Harriet had no idea that she had any aunts and suddenly she finds that she has five. Five aunts, all interesting, talented and, above all,...
Featured in: 5+ readers | 7+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/05/2006
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Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats
Alexander Mccall Smith
This has huge appeal and great fun.  Harriet and her aunts undertake some serious detection in the world of horseracing.  But have they taken on more than they can handle?  McCall Smith portrays his characters quite brilliantly. This series of...
Featured in: 5+ readers | 7+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/05/2006
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The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean
Alexander Mccall Smith
Having found her five aunts Harriet heads off on an adventure with two of them to catch some cattle thieves.  Brilliant detection and a whole load of fun on the way and larger than life characters in the form of...
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Format: Paperback - Released: 01/05/2006
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The Joke Machine
Alexander Mccall Smith
5-7 years. This entertaining  and nicely-told easy reader tells the story of the joke machine which Jeffrey discovers hidden away in Mr Prendergast’s junk shop where he works on a Saturday morning. Broken when he finds it, Jeffrey is determined...
Featured in: 5+ readers | 7+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 02/01/2006
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Precious and the Monkeys
Alexander Mccall Smith
Well before Precious Ramotswe founded her Number One Ladies' Detective Agency, as an eight-year-old girl she was already solving mysteries. Here, in this delightful, enchanting tale for children, we find out just who has been stealing her schoolfriends' snacks and...
Featured in: 7+ readers | 9+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 26/01/2012
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