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6 unusual facts about Alexander McCall Smith


Economy of Botswana

Tourism has been stimulated by the series of detective novels by Alexander McCall Smith and the American dramatisation that followed them.

Indian Thought Publications

In 2006, on Narayan's birth centenary, the company came out with a commemorative coffee table edition of his 1974 autobiography, My Days, with an introduction by his long-time admirer Alexander McCall Smith.

Jill Scott

Her first feature film appearances occurred in 2007, when Scott appeared in "Hounddog" (as Big Mama Thornton) and in Tyler Perry's movie, "Why Did I Get Married?" The next year, in 2008, Scott appeared as Precious Ramotswe in Anthony Minghella's film adaption of Alexander McCall Smith's series of books "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" playing a detective.

Marchmont

Pat McGregor from the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith also lives in Spottiswoode Street for a time in Love Over Scotland.

Sheila Tlou

She has portrayed Precious Ramotswe, the heroine of Alexander McCall Smith's #1 Ladies' Detective Agency book series, in amateur theater productions, and at one time was mentioned in media reports as a possible choice to portray Mma Ramotswe in the Hollywood film adaptation currently in production.

The 2½ Pillars of Wisdom

The 2½ Pillars Of Wisdom is the collected name for three novels by Alexander McCall Smith.


Edward Mendelson

In Alexander McCall Smith's novel The Right Attitude to Rain (2006), the main character exchanges letters with Mendelson about W.H. Auden and Robert Burns, and he then appears in The Comfort of Saturdays (2007).

Hannah Firmin

She is most famed for illustrating the book covers of Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series for which she was awarded "Book Cover of the Year" at the British Book Awards 2004.

Hatchards

Over the years many famous authors have signed at Hatchards including J.K Rowling, Alexander McCall Smith, Peter Ackroyd, Margaret Thatcher, Lauren Bacall, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Paxman, Joanne Harris, the late Alec Guinness, David Attenborough, Michael Palin, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, Peter Mandelson, Hilary Mantel, Sebastian Faulks, and Howard Jacobson.

Health Affairs

During its 12 years of history, Narrative Matters has published over 160 policy narratives on a wide-range of topics by well-known writers including Julia Alvarez, Alexander McCall Smith, and Abraham Verghese, by distinguished medical professionals and academics, as well as by patients.

Peter Firmin

Charlotte is also an illustrator; as is Hannah, known for her book jacket illustrations for Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series; Josie, who runs hand-painted china shops in London and Canterbury; Katy,who works for a farmers' cooperative in Faversham, Lucy,a pattern-cutter for fashion houses in Italy and Emily, the youngest, who appeared in the opening sequence of Bagpuss, and is a papier mache artist and printmaker living in Whitstable.

Saumya Balsari

Balsari's writing has been favourably compared by Alexander McCall Smith to that of Booker Prize Winners Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai.

Word – University of Aberdeen writers festival

Names appearing at the Festival included Nobel laureate Alasdair Gray, Alexander McCall Smith, Louis de Bernières, Seamus Heaney, Ian Rankin, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Lionel Shriver, and Irvine Welsh, as well as a packed series of events for young readers.


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