Date Published: 15th June 2026

Alexander and the Importance of Reading to Children

The Eastern Eye reported at the weekend from the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Sutton, South London. As part of that reporting, they carried the article below on Alexander’s event at the festival, where he talked about the importance of Reading to Children: “It’s really important that children should be read to, because that’s the way in which they develop a moral understanding of the other, and can see themselves in the shoes of other people. It’s the way in which we develop our moral faculties.”

He also spoke about the inspiration he found in the work of Indian writer, RK Narayan.

“Narayan was a very, very great writer. I think he should have got the Nobel Prize. I don’t know whether he was ever nominated (he was), but his books are absolutely lovely.”

He went on: “The Malgudi novels are beautiful, beautiful novels of life in a small town, with all the issues that go with life in a small town, beautifully written. Graham Greene was a great fan of RK Narayan. In fact, Graham Greene helped him to get published initially in the 1930s. And RK Narayan was the precursor of a wonderful tradition of Indian novelists writing in English, writing these gorgeous novels which continue.”

McCall Smith said: “There’s a wonderful humanity in the way in which he observes his characters. He has that quality, as the great novelists like him have, of being very sympathetic towards his characters, and getting across the essence and the humanity of the characters. He conveys people’s yearning for something in their lives, and that’s a very poignant thing.”

Alexander McCall Smith is the much loved author of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series of novels and the 44 Scotland Street novels. He has also written many stand-alone novels, poetry and fiction for children.

Reported in the Eastern Eye, Britain’s biggest newspaper for Asian news, business and lifestyle.