Date Published: 8th January 2017
Publishers across the world are gearing up for a new year of writing from Alexander. Here is a preview of what’s new from the pen of Alexander McCall Smith:
February
New episodes of the serial novel, 44 Scotland Street, will appear daily in The Scotsman newspaper from the end of February offering readers a chance to catch up with their favourite characters—Irene, little Bertie, Stuart, Big Lou, Bruce, Matthew and Elspeth. These episodes then appear in book form in the summer. (Watch out too for news on a new BBC Radio 4 series based on the books—broadcasting early Spring).
March
What’s new in March? A Distant View of Everything, a new Isabel Dalhousie novel, published in hardback, in which Isabel learns a heard lesson—match-make at your peril.
May
Precious and Grace, last year’s acclaimed new novel in The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series is out in paperback in May along with Alexander’s Chance Developments, a beguiling book in which the writer casts his eye over five chanced upon old black and white photographs and invents a story behind each.
July
The Bertie Project, the eleventh book in the 44 Scotland Street series which sees Bertie making a bid to leave Scotland Street to live with his grandmother, is published in paperback this month.
And for children, a new novel in the School Ship Tobermory series, The Race to Kangaroo Cliff is published in hardback while the two earlier novels in this series, School Ship Tobermory and The Sands of Shark Island are both published in paperback.
August
This month, a new novel in the 44 Scotland Street series will be published, the 12th in the series. A title will be announced shortly.
September
All those looking forward to returning to Botswana with Mma Ramotswe will be delighted to hear that a new novel in The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series is published this month with the intriguing title, The House of Unexpected Sisters.
October
What’s new for October? Alexander is one of five authors contributing to a new book, Who Built Scotland: A History of the Nation in 25 Buildings, which tells the story of ancient and modern buildings which represent significant moments or developments in Scotland’s story. Alexander is joined here by James Robertson, Kathleen Jamie, Alistair Moffat and James Crawford.
We are also anticipating a new collection of linked short stories in October but check back for more information soon.
November
And finally for 2017, in book form anyway, the hugely entertaining novel, My Italian Bulldozer, will give you a glimpse of the summer sun while we endure cold winter skies.