Date Published: 23rd August 2018

An Edinburgh International Book Festival report: Alexander McCall Smith took part in FIVE hugely successful events at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year, 2018, as well as having a show running on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a one off concert with the Really Terrible Orchestra. Every event was packed out.

At the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s home in Charlotte Square Gardens, Edinburgh, Alexander delighted children at a family event with tales from The School Ship Tobermory. He then took part in three adult events talking about his new poetry anthology, A Gathering: A Personal Anthology of Scottish Poems; The Colours of All the Cattle (the latest in The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency); The Quiet Side of Passion (the latest in the Isabel Dalhousie series); and a very funny preview of the next instalment in the Scotland Street series. He also gave audiences a tantalising glimpse of a new series to be launched next Spring – Ulf Varg. You can find out a little more by looking back on Facebook to a short story he wrote with this character back in 2012.

Celebrations marked the 20th anniversary of publication of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, including a reception hosted by Scotland’s First Minister and a party at Edinburgh International Book Festival.