Alexander McCall Smith

To date, Alexander McCall Smith has written more than 60 books, including everything from children's stories to legal textbooks, but he is best known for his delightful series, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, featuring the African sleuth, Precious Ramotswe. The ninth and latest installment, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, appeared this year. The series has now been translated into 39 languages and has sold over 7 million copies worldwide. Smith was born in what is now Zimbabwe, and educated there and in Scotland. He returned to Africa to establish a new law school at the University of Botswana in Gaborone, the setting of the No. 1 Ladies series. For many years he was Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. In addition to his literary activities, he is a past Vice Chairman of the Human Genetics Commission of the United Kingdom and Chairman of the British Medical Journal Ethics Committee. In 2007, he was named a Commander of the British Empire for his services to literature. This two-part podcast was recorded in the Boulders Lodge of the Singita Sabi Sands Game Reserve during the 2009 International Achievement Summit.