Launching this Wednesday, a brand new podcast from Alexander McCall Smith! 🩵Positive Distraction is a collection of beautifully written and narrated short stories, a perfect antidote to the stresses of everyday life. Get all the links here: linktr.ee/alexandermcc...

Summer is here and so is Bertie's Theory of Ice Cream in paperback! 🍦 Everyone's favourite seven-year-old has a lot to put up with. Find out Bertie’s latest exploits in this latest instalment in 44 Scotland Street.

This week saw the publication of the paperback edition of The Private Side of Friendship, Alexander McCall Smith's most recent stand-alone novel set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Described as ‘typically thoughtful and entertaining’ by the Scotsman, this is the perfect weekend read!

Alexander McCall Smith returns to Botswana, the country of his heart. Yesterday he met one of the most successful artists working in the country right now, Wilson Ngoni. Read more about his first day in Botswana here: alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/news/alexand...

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be a challenging time of year for many. Alexander's readers often comment on the solace they find in his books during difficult times. Is there an Alexander McCall Smith book you plan to read over the festive period?

'A hot milky drink taken just before bed May not be what you want, but you are wrong' Alexander’s poem ‘Cocoa’ from I Think of You muses on the moral benefits of cocoa before bed, and you can read the whole poem in his monthly Story Calendar: alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/story-calend...

Happy Halloween! 🎃 We truly have the perfect book for the season with Alexander’s latest No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novel, In the Time of Five Pumpkins. If you have read this one already, do share your thoughts!

Six friends. One city. The time of their lives. The Private Side of Friendship is the brand new stand-alone novel from Alexander McCall Smith, which sees four Edinburgh university flatmates reunite after graduation in 1988, navigating friendships and love amid the background of the Miners’ Strike.

On Saturday, Alexander took part in a very special event at Braemar Literary Festival. Hosted by Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room, Alexander celebrated the return of favourite characters in Bertie’s Theory of Ice Cream and In The Time of Five Pumpkins.

Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party in the running for the Vintage Bollinger Prize! Ten years ago, Alexander won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction for his novel Fatty O'Leary's Dinner Party, and is now in the running for its 'winner of winners' prize!

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel, the latest No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency novel, is now out in paperback in the UK! Visit your local bookshop to dive into the wonderful world of Alexander McCall Smith's writing!

"It’s like ice cream, Mr Flynn," Bertie continued. "When you have ice cream, you need to eat it straight away, otherwise it melts." When despair for the world grows, Bertie’s theory of ice cream reminds us of the simple pleasures in life. Alexander's new novel is out today!

Today is World Oyster Day, the perfect date to celebrate some folk’s favourite seafood. Whether oysters are up your street or not, why not sit back this evening with a glass of champagne and read Alexander’s recently published The Lost Language of Oysters!

Alexander McCall Smith was delighted to hear that – for the second year running – The Great Tapestry of Scotland centre in Galashiels, which he was heavily involved in creating, has been awarded a place in Tripadvisor’s Top 10% of Attractions worldwide. Congratulations to the Tapestry team!

Today is the UK publication day for this brand new edition of Alexander’s charming novel, Trains and Lovers. ❤️ In this surprising and poignant story, four strangers meet on a journey from Edinburgh to London. What unfolds is a beautiful tale of love and railways.

Have you read the latest Alexander McCall Smith novel yet? The Lost Language of Oysters is the most recent in his Professor von Igelfeld series, in which there is the possibility of a trip to Louisiana, where important research is being undertaken into communication among oysters.🦪

Alexander is once again attending the @edbookfest.bsky.social this year with an event on 15th August! In-person tickets have already sold out but check back later for returns, or book your online ticket now! www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

It's a double-whammy publication week! Now available in the UK is the latest latest Professor von Igelfeld novel, The Lost Language of Oysters, as well as the paperback edition of The Conditions of Unconditional Love, the fifteenth Isabel Dalhousie novel. 📚

Alexander is appearing later this month at the International Literature Festival Dublin! Join us for an evening of wit and warmth with one of the world’s best-loved authors! Find out more: ilfdublin.com/.../where-ha...

The Winds from Further West is out today in paperback! Described by BBC Radio 4 as 'a call to arms for a better society', this novel is set between Edinburgh and the beautiful Hebrides, and is a wonderfully atmospheric novel about chance encounters. birlinn.co.uk/product/the-...

Over the last week, Alexander has been out travelling on a very special Readers’ Safari in glorious Botswana, home to Precious Ramotswe and The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. His friend Mats Ögren Wanger has sent some outstanding photographs from the Okavango for us to share.

Alexander is back in his happy place, Botswana! He is joining readers from around the world for a very special safari experience in the country. On Sunday they visited Elephant Havens, a charity Alexander is very happy to support – their mission is to protect and preserve the African Elephant.

In January, Alexander travelled to South Africa to work with his good friend, Nicholas Ellenbogen on a play, Darwin: A Curious Mind. It is now playing there to rave reviews. Read more: www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/news/darwin-...

Have a look at Alexander's website for this month's story calendar, an exclusive short essay 'Manners Count' where Alexander muses on morality and manners in the modern age. Check it out: www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/story-calend...

Happy Mother's Day to all of Alexander's readers! 💐

Alexander is very touched by the many lovely reader letters and emails he receives from all across the world. ✉️ Many of them reflect on the peace and happiness that his characters bring them. What is it you enjoy about Alexander's writing?

Alexander is taking part in some UK events in May this year! 📚 Make sure to check out his website for full details of all forthcoming book events and to buy tickets. Alexander looks forward to seeing you there! www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/category/eve...

Big news! 🌟 Award-winning production company Synchronicity Films have optioned the rights for screen development to the internationally popular Isabel Dalhousie novels from best-selling author Sir Alexander McCall Smith. Read more: www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/news/screen-...

'Her business was an unusual one—an introductions agency, or marriage bureau, as she sometimes described it, called the Perfect Passion Company.' Read an extract from Alexander's latest book Looking for You on his website! www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/story-calend...

Have you seen all the glowing reviews for Alexander's newest book, Looking for You? 💕 🌟'Brimming with joy' - Sunday Post 🌟'Wonderfully amusing and heartfelt' - LoveReading 🌟'McCall Smith's novels are shaped by ideas of community, tolerance, and civility' - The Telegraph