Alexander McCall Smith
April 2017
June 2012
November 2011
Stories from the National Portrait GalleryAlexander McCall Smith: A portrait of Mary PeeblesThe National Portrait Gallery has a number of paintings that were once thought to be recognisable aristocrats, but their subjects are in fact unknown. This is the imagined story of the woman formerly thought to be Mary, Queen of Scots
March 2010
Once upon a lifeOnce upon a life: Alexander McCall SmithIn 1973 Alexander McCall Smith took a post as a lecturer at Queen's University, Belfast. He was in his mid-20s, and it was the year after Bloody Sunday. Here, the author of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series recalls the life-changing experience of living in the city
January 2010
Alexander McCall Smith – Confessions of a tea addict
Tea is not just a drink. It's a social and cultural statement, with its own etiquette and sense of ritual; it provides comfort and routine in times of crisis. Lifelong devotee Alexander McCall Smith explains why he never leaves home without his teapot
April 2008
August 2006
My life in a single bite
Alexander McCall Smith, the author of The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, recalls the tripe-and-onion dinners of his African colonial childhood, and his longing for ketchup sandwiches. These days his culinary passions range from Italian cooking to the delicious, locally sourced food and drink of his Highland heritage.