Alexander McCall Smith - Author

Alexander McCall Smith was our Guest Editor in July 2011 - click here - to see the books that inspired his writing.

Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific and most popular authors. His career has been a varied one: for many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the United Kingdom and abroad. Then, after the publication of his highly successful No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which has sold over twenty-five million copies, he devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into forty-six languages and become bestsellers through the world. These include the Scotland Street novels, first published as a serial novel in the Scotsman newspaper, the Isabel Dalhousie novels, the von Igelfeld series, and the Corduroy Mansions series, novels which started life as a delightful (but challenging to write) cross-media serial, written on the website of the Telegraph Media Group. This series won two major cross-media awards - Association of Online Publishers Digital Publishing Award 2009 for a Cross Media Project and the New Media Age award. Alexander is also the author of collections of short stories, academic works, and over thirty books for children. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Awards Author of the Year Award in 2004 and a CBE for service to literature in 2007. He holds honorary doctorates from nine universities in Europe and North America. In March 2011 he received an award from the President of Botswana for his services through literature to that country. Alexander McCall Smith lives in Edinburgh. He is married to a doctor and has two daughters.

A Lovereading guide to the works of Alexander McCall Smith...

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency was first published in 1998 and then, suddenly, it took off in America to the extent that no less than11 reprints were required in 2003.

Since then, so prolific has been his output, and so has his popularity soared, that there was a time when the sheer multitude of McCall Smith's books led to confusion as to which book fitted into each of the various series under which he writes. One has hardly been able to keep up with the sheer abundance of books published - we reckon at least thirty in less than a decade.

Now, thankfully, things have settled down and the legions of McCall Smiths avid fans can compartmentalise his new books into the four main series under which they sit - The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, The Isabel Dalhousie Novels, The 44 Scotland Street Series and The Corduroy Mansions Series with a few more on top!

There are constant features across the whole panoply of McCall Smith's output. Wry and witty observations about the day-to-day lives of normal people. An innocence and delight in the human condition. And, always, a twinkle on the eye shared by writer and reader. He is a happy writer and that makes for happy readers.

He is best known for the following 4 series of novels (they are shown below in the order they were published) :-

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Tears of the Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls, The Kalahari Typing School for Men, The Full Cupboard of Life, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, Blue Shoes and Happiness, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, The Miracle at Speedy Motors, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, The Double Comfort Safari Club, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection.

Isabel Dalhousie series: The Sunday Philosophy Club,Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, The Right Attitude to Rain, The Careful Use of Compliments, The Comfort of Saturdays, The Lost Art of Gratitude, The Charming Quirks of Others, The Forgotten Affairs of Youth.

44 Scotland Street series: 44 Scotland Street, Espresso Tales, Love Over Scotland, The World According to Bertie, The Unbearable Lightness of Scones, The Importance of Being Seven, Bertie Plays the Blues, Sunshine on Scotland Street.

Corduroy Mansions Series: Corduroy Mansions, The Dog Who Came in from the Cold, A Conspiracy of Friends.

Author Photo © Graham Clark

If you like Alexander McCall Smith you might also like to read books by Marina Lewycka, Catriona Mcpherson and M C Beaton

Trains and Lovers The Heart's Romance Alexander McCall Smith November 2012 Book of the Month. Linking a group of passengers on a Edinburgh to London train, this is an exquisitely produced pocket-sized edition of his latest book and it’s a perfect gift... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/11/2012 Lovereading Price: £7.49 - Saving £2.50 (25%)

Sunshine on Scotland Street 44 Scotland Street Alexander McCall Smith This is the eighth of the hugely successful 44 Scotland Street series from one of the world’s best-loved authors. In this instalment we have an unprepared groom, a double dose of narcissism, an unlikely internet sensation and boys (and dogs)... Format: Hardback - Released: 16/07/2012 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

A Conspiracy of Friends Alexander McCall Smith The third novel in McCall's acclaimed series about the colourful inhabitants of Corduroy Mansions, Pimlico. This installment follows the adventures of Oedipus Snark, the nasty Liberal Democrat and his mother Berthea who is writing an unauthorised biography of him, and... Format: Paperback - Released: 12/04/2012 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Cleverness of Ladies (Quick Reads) Alexander McCall Smith A World Book Day 2012 Quick Read. With his trademark gift for storytelling, international bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith brings us five tales of love, heartbreak, hope and the cleverness of ladies. Format: Paperback - Released: 02/02/2012 Lovereading Price: £1.49 - Saving £0.50 (25%)

Unusual Uses for Olive Oil A Von Igelfeld Novel Alexander McCall Smith Life is so unfair, and it sends many things to try Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs and pillar of the Institute of Romance Philology in the proud Bavarian city of Regensburg. There is the undeserved... Format: Hardback - Released: 06/10/2011 Lovereading Price: £11.24 - Saving £3.75 (25%)

The Forgotten Affairs of Youth : An Isabel Dalhousie Novel Alexander McCall Smith Alexander McCall Smith published The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency in 1998 and then, suddenly, it took off in America to the extent that no less than 11 reprints were required in 2003. Since then, so prolific has... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/09/2011 Lovereading Price: £13.49 - Saving £4.50 (25%)

The Charming Quirks of Others An Isabel Dalhousie Novel Alexander McCall Smith The Charming Quirks of Others is the latest installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s Isobel Dalhousie series, which sees the Scottish sleuth becoming entangled in an investigation at a local boarding school -- out now in paperback. Format: Paperback - Released: 04/08/2011 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

Bertie Plays The Blues (A 44 Scotland St novel) Alexander McCall Smith August 2011 Book of the Month. The story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family at 44 Scotland Street continues in this seventh instalment alongside the familiar cast of favourites - Big Lou, Domenica,... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/08/2011 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

Precious and the Monkeys Alexander McCall Smith If you're a fan of Alexander McCall Smith's No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series or know someone who is then do take a look at this delightful and enchanting children's tale telling how the young Precious Ramotswe became the No. 1... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/07/2011 Lovereading Price: £7.49 - Saving £2.50 (25%)

The Importance of Being Seven Alexander McCall Smith The sixth volume of Alexander McCall Smith's wonderful serial novels set in Edinburgh's New Town. Warm-hearted, wise and very funny, The Importance of Being Seven brings us a fresh and delightful set of insights into philosophy and fraternity among Edinburgh's... Format: Paperback - Released: 02/06/2011 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

A Conspiracy of Friends : A Corduroy Mansions Novel Alexander McCall Smith May 2011 Book of the Month. The third novel in McCall's acclaimed series about the colourful inhabitants of Corduroy Mansions, Pimlico. This installment follows the adventures of Oedipus Snark, the nasty Liberal Democrat... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/05/2011 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

The Dog Who Came in from the Cold Alexander McCall Smith Second novel in the new London-based series from Alexander McCall Smith, comparable in warmth and humour to 44 Scotland Street. Corduroy Mansions Series:1. Corduroy Mansions2. The Dog Who Came in from the Cold 3. A Conspiracy of... Format: Paperback - Released: 07/04/2011 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Double Comfort Safari Club Alexander McCall Smith The 11th in the No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series sees sleuth Precious Ramotswe and her assistant Grace Makutsi on the trail of a mystery safari guide who has been named in the will of a generous benefactor. McCall Smith’s Botswana... Format: Paperback - Released: 03/02/2011 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Lost Art of Gratitude : An Isabel Dalhousie Novel Alexander McCall Smith More sleuthing from the wonderful Isabel Dalhousie. As in all his novels McCall Smith brings together a great cast of characters and our leading lady is always charming and inquisitive as she tries to crack another mystery. Please note that this... Format: Paperback - Released: 05/08/2010 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Importance of Being Seven: 44 Scotland Street Alexander McCall Smith Number six in the Scotland Street Series and still has all the McCall Smith charm and ease. A great series. Format: Hardback - Released: 01/07/2010 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

Corduroy Mansions Alexander McCall Smith His fans will love another wittily observed gem of a book. With McCall Smith, the places change – you could be in Botswana or Scotland or, now, London - but the sheer humanity is the same. Here, a new group of interesting and... Format: Paperback - Released: 06/05/2010 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Dog Who Came in from the Cold Alexander McCall Smith Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 4 June 2010. May 2010 Book of the Month. More stories from the residents of the crumbling apartment block in Pimlico. The second in a... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/05/2010 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

The Lost Art of Gratitude - Large Print Edition Alexander McCall Smith The sixth installment in the best-selling chronicles of the irrepressibly curious Isabel Dalhousie. More sleuthing from the wonderful Isabel Dalhousie. As in all his novels McCall Smith brings together a great cast of characters and our leading lady is always charming and inquisitive... Format: Paperback - Released: 14/10/2009 Lovereading Price: £14.44 - Saving £2.55 (15%)

Corduroy Mansions Alexander McCall Smith His fans will love another wittily observed gem of a book. With McCall Smith, the places change – you could be in Botswana or Scotland or, now, London - but the sheer humanity is the same. Here, a new group... Format: Cd-audio - Released: 02/07/2009 Lovereading Price: £11.98 - Saving £4.00 (25%)

La's Orchestra Saves the World Alexander McCall Smith A stand alone novel, this is a gentle tale of a woman relocating to the Suffolk countryside just before the Second World War. La (shot for Lavender) decides to start up an orchestra with the locals and members from the... Format: Paperback - Released: 02/07/2009 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

Corduroy Mansions Alexander McCall Smith His fans will love another wittily observed gem of a book. With McCall Smith, the places change – you could be in Botswana or Scotland or, now, London - but the sheer humanity is the same. Here, a new group... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/07/2009 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones Alexander McCall Smith The fifth volume of the Scotland Street series is here with the wonderful cast of characters that reside there. These are a joy to read and plenty of different story lines to keep the action going and the reader satisfied.... Format: Paperback - Released: 07/05/2009 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built Alexander McCall Smith Alexander McCall Smith is shortlisted for the Specsavers ITV3 Crime Thriller Bestseller Dagger 2009. The tenth in Mma Ramotswe’s No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, her fans will know just what to expect but at the same time remain delightfully enthralled... Format: Paperback - Released: 05/03/2009 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built Alexander McCall Smith Winner of the Best Fiction AudioBook of 2009. The tenth in Mma Ramotswe’s No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, her fans will know just what to expect but at the same time remain delightfully enthralled by a new set of Precious adventures.... Format: CD-Audio - Released: 05/03/2009 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

The Miracle at Speedy Motors Alexander McCall Smith Another wonderful chapter (the 9th in the series) in the colourful lives of these down-to-earth people and their moralistic way of life. There are crimes to solve, a lady’s relatives to find but the real charm of this series is... Format: Paperback - Released: 05/02/2009 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive Alexander McCall Smith Whenever I read a McCall Smith No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency title I can always smell the smells and visualize the situations he’s describing so clearly, for his writing is so acute and precise and his love for the country and... Format: Hardback - Released: 01/03/2007 Lovereading Price: £9.74 - Saving £3.25 (25%)

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive Alexander McCall Smith Whenever I read a McCall Smith No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency title I can always smell the smells and visualize the situations he’s describing so clearly, for his writing is so acute and precise and his love for the country and... Format: Audiobook On Cd - Released: 01/03/2007 Lovereading Price: £11.98 - Saving £4.00 (25%)

Blue Shoes and Happiness Alexander McCall Smith Fans of the The Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency will revel in the tricky new challenges the traditionally built Mma Ramotswe faces with her unique combination of common sense and kindness. Those who are yet to discover McCall Smith's witty... Format: Paperback - Released: 01/02/2007 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

Dream Angus : The Celtic God of Dreams Alexander McCall Smith I enjoyed this book. The author’s prose is, as usual, simple, almost naïve in style but as the story of the Eros figure of Angus progresses, and the five modern but very different fables interwoven into his quest for love... Format: Hardback - Released: 05/10/2006 Lovereading Price: £9.74 - Saving £3.25 (25%)

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate Alexander McCall Smith The second in his new dectective series 'The Sunday Philosophy Club'based in Scotlandstarring amateur sleuth Isabel Dalhousie. We love thewit and wisdom and think it’s utterly charming. Format: Paperback - Released: 27/07/2006 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

Love Over Scotland Alexander McCall Smith McCall Smith’s writing is certainly addictive. Read one and you want to read more. Love Over Scotland is no different in that with his usual skill and charm he has pulled together a handful of quirky and brilliantly observed characters... Format: Hardback - Released: 06/07/2006 Lovereading Price: £11.24 - Saving £3.75 (25%)

Blue Shoes and Happiness Alexander McCall Smith Fans of the The Ladies' No. 1 Detective Agency will revel in the tricky new challenges the traditionally built Mma Ramotswe faces with her unique combination of common sense and kindness. Those who are yet to discover McCall Smith's witty... Format: Hardback - Released: 09/03/2006 Lovereading Price: £9.74 - Saving £3.25 (25%)

The Sunday Philosophy Club Alexander McCall Smith Personally I prefer Precious Ramotswe of his Botswana novels to Isabel Dalousie, the amateur sleuth featured here, but I do remember it took me more than one book to be totally enchanted by her so I know Isabel will grow on me. And... Format: Paperback - Released: 13/06/2005 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

In The Company of Cheerful Ladies Alexander McCall Smith Despite threatening to wind-up this Botswana crime series as he develops an equally intriguing Scottish heroine, Isabel Dalhousie, Precious Ramotswe is still his most endearing character and I personally love the African lore and setting that surrounds her and her... Format: Paperback - Released: 07/03/2005 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith A 2013 World Book Night selection. This charming, light-hearted, wise tale hit the literary world in 2001 and became a word-of-mouth bestseller. If you are new to the series you really should start here to get the full background. After that... Format: Paperback - Released: 05/06/2003 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party Alexander McCall Smith While investigating unpleasant occurrences on a southern cattle-post, Mma Ramotswe, always on the side of the weak against the strong, has reason to reflect on Rule No.3 of The Principles of Private Detection: never lie to the client. Apprentice mechanic... Format: Paperback - Released: 29/03/2012 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection Alexander McCall Smith Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have always relied on the advice of the classic guide to their trade, The Principles of Private Detection. But who is the eminent author, Mr Clovis Andersen, and what if he were to come to... Format: Hardback - Released: 29/03/2012 Lovereading Price: £12.74 - Saving £4.25 (25%)

Unusual Uses for Olive Oil A Von Igelfeld Novel Alexander McCall Smith Life is so unfair, and it sends many things to try Professor Dr Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, author of Portuguese Irregular Verbs and pillar of the Institute of Romance Philology in the proud Bavarian city of Regensburg. There is the undeserved... Format: Paperback - Released: 04/10/2012 Lovereading Price: £5.99 - Saving £2.00 (25%)