Alexander McCall Smith
- Writer
Alexander McCall Smith was born in Zimbabwe (called Southern Rhodesia
at the time) 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 is 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.
Over the past twenty years, Smith has written more than fifty books,
including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a
number of immensely popular children's books. In 1998, McCall Smith's
detective novel, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, was published and
received two Booker Judge's Special Recommendations. The No. 1 Ladies'
Detective Agency series now numbers a total of four books (he is
working on the fifth) and has been optioned for feature film. The
series has been enthusiastically received throughout the world, and
foreign language editions will be appearing in numerous countries.
Three of the books in the series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency;
Tears of the Giraffe; and Morality for Beautiful Girls, have recently
been published by Anchor Books. The fourth, The Kalahari Typing school
for Men will be published by Pantheon in April 2003. McCall Smith has
recently finished the first book in a new series featuring a lady
detective, Isabel Dalhousie (Scottish father, American mother) the
first title of which, Crushed Strawberry, will be published in London
next year.
Today Alexander McCall Smith 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.
at the time) 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 is 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.
Over the past twenty years, Smith has written more than fifty books,
including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a
number of immensely popular children's books. In 1998, McCall Smith's
detective novel, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, was published and
received two Booker Judge's Special Recommendations. The No. 1 Ladies'
Detective Agency series now numbers a total of four books (he is
working on the fifth) and has been optioned for feature film. The
series has been enthusiastically received throughout the world, and
foreign language editions will be appearing in numerous countries.
Three of the books in the series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency;
Tears of the Giraffe; and Morality for Beautiful Girls, have recently
been published by Anchor Books. The fourth, The Kalahari Typing school
for Men will be published by Pantheon in April 2003. McCall Smith has
recently finished the first book in a new series featuring a lady
detective, Isabel Dalhousie (Scottish father, American mother) the
first title of which, Crushed Strawberry, will be published in London
next year.
Today Alexander McCall Smith 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.