Alexander McCall Smith

Alexander McCall Smith (1948 -) is a writer and professor of medical law at the University of Edinburgh.

Born in Zimbabwe, he was educated in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe before moving to Scotland to study law. After returning to Botswana to teach law at University of Botswana, he returned once more to Edinburgh where he lives today.

He is the chairman of the British Medical Journal Ethics Committee, the vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the United Kingdom, and a member of the International Bioethics Commission of UNESCO.

Among his works as a writer are:

• Academic texts
  • The Criminal Law of Botswana
  • Errors, Medicine and the Law (coauthor), (1992)
  • Changing People: The Law and Ethics of Behavior Modification, (1994)
  • Health Resources and the Law, (1994)
  • Forensic Aspects of Sleep (1997)

• Childrens books
  • The Perfect Hamburger (1984)
  • Alix and the Tigers (1988)
  • The Tin Dog (1990)
  • Calculator Annie (1991)
  • The Popcorn Pirates (1991)
  • The Doughnut Ring (1992)
  • Paddy and the Ratcatcher (1994)
  • The Muscle Machine (1995)
  • The Bubblegum Tree (1996)
  • Bursting Balloons Mystery (1997)
  • The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean (1997)
  • Chocolate Money Mystery (1999)
  • Teacher Trouble, (2000)

• Novels
  • The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, (1999)
  • Tears Of The Giraffe (2000)
  • Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
  • The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
  • At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (2003)
  • The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs (2003)
  • The Full Cupboard of Life (2004)
  • The Night-Time Dancer (2004)
  • The Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
  • The Sunday Philosophers' Club (2004)

• Other
  • Children of Wax: African Folk Tales (1991)
  • Heavenly Date: And Other Flirtations (1995)
  • Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2003)
  • The Girl Who Married a Lion: And Other Tales from Africa (2004)

He is an amateur bassoonist.