…and I get to interview him
Alexander McCall Smith is appearing at an event in Melbourne next month and I’m thrilled to bits to have been asked by The Wheeler Centre to interview him.
Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific and most popular authors, loved worldwide for his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, featuring the no-nonsense Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s leading (and only) female detective, as well as the Sunday Philosophy Club, Scotland Street and Corduroy Mansion series. His books have been translated into over 40 languages; the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series alone has sold over 20 million copies, and been made into an HBO TV show.
We are especially fond of his children’s books in our household, featuring a nine-year-old Precious Ramotswe, monkeys, meerkats and in the most recent outing, a missing lion.
We’ll also be talking about his latest novel, a standalone called The Forever Girl.
I’ve been watching interviews with Alexander on YouTube in preparation and he comes across as entertaining, erudite and very witty. You are in for a treat if you can make it to the event on Thursday 13 March, 6.30-7.30PM at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne. Click here for information and tickets.
If you can’t make it to the event, feel free to suggest questions for Alexander McCall Smith as a comment on this post. Best question (as judged by me on purely subjective grounds) wins a hardcopy edition of The Mystery of the Missing Lion.
Angela Savage 
You are indeed a lucky woman, Angela! I really like McCall Smith’s writing, and as you say, he’s a delight to interview. I hope you’ll record the interview and post a link to it.
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I feel very fortunate, Margot. And The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing, Ideas usually records such events to post later as video. If/when this happens, I will be sure to share the link.
Do you have any questions for Alexander?
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Well, if you wouldn’t mind, Angela, I would love to get his thoughts on writing female protagonists. I write a male protagonist and I always want to learn from skilled authors how they make protagonists of the opposite sex convincing. He certainly does.
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Great question, Margot. I will add it to the mix.
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What an honour, well done Angela!
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I love my life sometimes, Fe!
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Lucky you! I’d be there in a flash if I could. I’ve read several of the Precious Ramotswe books and like them so much. I ended up buying several to loan to friends as they could not get enough of the books.
I’d like to ask Alexander McCall Smith about his optimism, why Precious Ramotswe is such an optimistic person and has such a positive outlook on life? Also, why he thinks this series is so popular around the world.
I’d also wonder who his favorite writers are, and who influenced his writing.
Uh oh, I’ve asked a lot of questions here, but I’m sure you’ll have a lot of your own.
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Great questions, Kathy. Thank you.
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Woo hoo. I’m hoping to get there!
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Yay!
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Will you write up the discussion with the distinguished McCall Smith for your loyal blog readers?
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Kathy, with any luck, The Wheeler Centre will film the interview and I will post a link to the video once it is available 🙂
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Yippee! Any and all interviews with good authors are welcome.
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