story calendar Archives - Alexander McCall Smith

October 2024

‘Late Summer’: A Poem for October

A poem written by Alexander to mark the late summer sunshine on the west coast of Scotland. Late summer Summer seemed to pass us by this year in Scotland,Until now, in September, unexpectedIn its generous showing of light and warmth,It invites us into its curtilage;Here we live beside a mountain,And before us a sea loch, […]

November 2022

A Story for November: Distance and Imagination

The University of Glasgow had expected no more than twenty students to sign up for the course on Distance and Imagination but when the class first met, on an afternoon in late September, an afternoon of falling leaves and a clear, chilly sky, there were over sixty of them packed into the lecture room. It […]

October 2022

A Story for October: ‘By Post’ from Tiny Tales

An extract from Tiny Tales, an illustrated short story collection by Alexander McCall Smith, illustrated by Iain McIntosh.

November 2021

A Story for November: Australia Deprivation Syndrome

Some light-hearted writing in recognition of those who love Australia and have been unable to visit for some time.

September 2020

A Story for September – No Double Bed

No Double Bed is an extract from the forthcoming book, ‘How to Raise an Elephant’, the twenty-first volume in The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. No Double Bed Precious Ramotswe, owner and only begetter of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – established to deal with the problems of ladies, and others – looked across her […]

August 2020

A Story for August – Pope Ron

The first adventure of Pope Ron An extract from Tiny Tales: Pope Ron, the first Australian pope, came from a small town south of Perth. His father, Bill Stokes, was an agricultural machinery salesman; his mother, Sandra, gave music lessons at the local high school. Ron, who had been an enthusiastic altar-boy, had nursed an […]