Scottish legal scholar and author of the beloved No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Alexander McCall Smith is such a prolific writer and creator that he was recently knighted for his services to literature!
Here, the 76-year-old sits down with Woman’s Day to talk books, inspiration and why he can’t wait to come to Australia later this year!
ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH TELLS ALL
Why are the novels so popular?
The heroine of that series is a woman who is kind, understanding and intuitive. There is no crime in those books – Mma Ramotswe is, rather, a person who helps others with the issues in their lives. I think that people like her – as do I! The world is such a difficult and often rather sorrowful place – Mma Ramotswe represents the opposite of the confrontational attitudes we see all about us. I think people want that. They want some gentleness and a certain optimism.
Humanity and hope seem to be recurring themes for you. Why?
I find myself interested in the issue of how we negotiate the challenges of life in a world that’s full of conflict.
We must remember the central role that forgiveness plays – we have to forgive, or we’re destined to repeat the same battles time after time. We also need to remind each other of the importance of tolerance and of listening to others.
What’s the most moving thing a reader has said to you?
On a number of occasions people have said they’ve read my books with a dying spouse. Sometimes they say a family member was reading the book when he or she died. I’ve also had one or two people say to me that Mma Ramotswe saved them from dying by suicide. I’m obviously pretty moved by that.
You were recently knighted. How was that experience?
It was very kind of them. The sword that the King used was quite heavy! You certainly know that you’ve been tapped on the shoulder. I felt most honoured, although it really makes no difference to how you feel inside.
WHAT’S NEXT
After The Great Hippopotamus Hotel, you have another book coming out – give us the elevator pitch!
The Winds From Further West is a novel set in Edinburgh and on the island of Mull. It’s about a medical researcher who is accused of saying something that he didn’t say. He becomes a victim of cancel culture and gives up his job in disgust. On the island of Mull he finds a more tolerant society.
How do you relax?
I enjoy reading. I’m a keen sailor, and I love messing about with boats. I love having coffee or lunch with friends and chatting about any and everything. I like to watch a good TV series. I watched a wonderful Australian series, High Country. I thought it was beautifully filmed and acted.
I am very much looking forward to being back in Australia at the end of the year. I love being there. I love the smells and sounds of the bush – the trees, the sky, the birdsong – everything. Increasingly there are Australian characters in my books. In my new series, The Perfect Passion Company, one of the two principal characters is a young man from Melbourne. I have written quite a few short stories now with an Australian setting.
Out now, Hachette, $28. Buy Big W.
