Alexander McCall Smith

From Freepedia

Alexander (R.A.) "Sandy" McCall Smith (1948 -) is a writer and emeritus 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 former chairman of the British Medical Journal Ethics Committee (until 2002), the former vice-chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the United Kingdom, and a former member of the International Bioethics Commission of UNESCO. Due to his late success as a writer these other commitments could not be continued.

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)
  • "Law and Medical Ethics" (coauthor with Ken Mason and Graeme Laurie), (2002)

• Children's 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)
  • Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2003)
  • At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (2003)
  • The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs (2003)
  • The Full Cupboard of Life (2004)
  • In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004 - also known as The Night-Time Dancer)
  • The Sunday Philosophy Club (2004)
  • 44 Scotland Street (2005)
  • Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (2005 - to be published in September 05)

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

He is an amateur bassoonist, and co-founder of The Really Terrible Orchestra.

External link

• homepage at randomhouse
• Featured on Desert Island Discs, BBC, Radio 4, 19th June 2005