Born in Bulawayo, in what was then the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and is now Zimbabwe, Alexander McCall Smith studied law at Edinburgh University and for many years he was the Professor of Medical Law there. In 1999 he achieved global recognition for his award winning No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and thereafter devoted his time to writing fiction including the 44 Scotland Street and von Igelfield series. His books have been translated into 42 languages and he lives in Edinburgh with his wife Elizabeth, a doctor. He was appointed a CBE in 2006 for services to literature.

Many of your books have strong female lead characters such as Isabel Dalhousie from ‘The Sunday Philosophy Club’ and Precious Ramotswe from the ‘No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’. Was any particular person your main inspiration for these characters?

Many years ago, I met a woman at her home just outside Gabarone in Bostwana. She was a very capable woman of traditional build, with a neat and well kept front yard. She caught and gave a chicken to the people with whom I was staying.

I remember thinking at the time: This is a remarkable woman – I wonder what her life story is. Of course, I never found out, but this meeting made me think that one day I would like to write about such a woman – resourceful, amusing, and intelligent. Then, out of my subconscious, knocking on the door so to speak, came Precious Ramotswe. Initially, I wrote a short story about her, for friends, and then discovered that I liked her very much and wanted to continue our conversation.

But Isabel Dalhousie was quite different. I was inspired on this occasion by the desire to write more about Edinburgh, my home city. There are many strong women in this city and many of them have played a small part in the development of Isabel Dalhousie.

Both of the above characters are detectives – would you have made a good detective in real life?

No.

You obviously know and love the country of Botswana. How did you come to know it so well?

I spent the early part of my childhood in Zimbabwe and have fond memories of the beauty of the African landscape. I spent some time in Swaziland and occasionally went over to Botswana. Then later, I returned to teach at two universities there – the University of Swaziland and then the University of Botswana. I fi nd Botswana a very interesting and admirable country.

I respect the people who live there – they have built up their country very carefully and successfully. I admire their patience and their decency. We have many good friends there and I try to return at least once a year.

Thousands of your readers enjoy the essential goodness, humanity and humour of Precious Ramotswe, which must bring you pleasure. Are you ever tempted to write about someone thoroughly nasty?

There have been a few characters with less pleasant aspects to their character in ‘Scotland Street’ and now in ‘Corduroy Mansions’ with Oedipus Snark, possibly the first ever nasty Liberal Democrat MP. I’m not sure that I would be tempted to write about someone nastier than this.

Do the characters in your books become real to you as you write about them?

I have a conversation with my characters as I write but I really know very little about them until it appears on the page. And even then, I seldom know what they look like. I never have a picture of a character in my mind. I may know a general build but I don’t see a face.

Do you see their lives unfolding, such as the little boy Bertie from the ‘44 Scotland Street’ series? I don’t plan what will happen to them. But Bertie, poor little Bertie, is destined to be six years old for a very long time!

Does writing come easily to you? Yes, I am very fortunate in that way. I create a story in my head. It tumbles out onto the page fully formed and requires little redrafting. I also write quickly and can put down 1000 words in an hour.

Do you have a favourite place in which you write or can you write anywhere?

I have a study at home where I write but if I’m up against a deadline I can write more or less anywhere – on an aircraft, in a hotel room, on the train.

Are you a disciplined person who gets up early in the morning and writes for two hours before breakfast, or do you write when the mood takes you?

A bit of both. When I’m at home, I tend to rise at around fi ve am and write for two or three hours. But when I’m travelling I can write at most points of the day.

Who would you invite to a dinner party?

Past and present? I would invite the comic writer E.F. Benson, author of the Mapp and Lucia novels; that very great man, W.H. Auden – a marvelous poet; Bill Gates, to discuss the very important work undertaken by his Foundation; the actress Meryl Streep and defi nitely Charlie Maclean the whisky writer.

What would be on the menu?

Scottish seafood and fine wine.

Who are your favourite authors?

W.H. Auden. His ’Collected Shorter Poems’ accompanies me on most of my journeys. His words are a constant source of inspiration to me. And R.K. Narayan, an Indian writer who never received quite the recognition that he deserved. I have been greatly infl uenced by his work, and would like it to be better known and appreciated.

You wrote ‘44 Scotland Street’ as a daily column for the Scotsman – how did you cope with writing under pressure? Did you enjoy the experience and would you do it again?

I did enjoy the pressure and always aimed to be a good few episodes ahead of the print editions. On one occasion I was right up against it and rounding Cape Horn, without a whisper of internet access. Both Iain McIntosh the illustrator and David Robinson the literary editor were very nervous. But we made it... with hours to spare. And I am doing it again. At the moment I am writing two serial novels at the same time. ‘Scotland Street’ has returned to the Scotsman and ‘Corduroy Mansions’, set in London, appears in daily episodes on the website of the Daily Telegraph.

Are you still pursuing your alternative career as a bassoonist with the ‘Really Terrible Orchestra’?

Last year we went to New York and played at City Hall! In 2010 we hope to play slightly closer to home, in Glasgow.

Has your playing improved?

No.

Scottish Field often pops up in your Scottish novels. How long have you been reading the magazine?

Most of my adult life.

Do you have a favourite pub?

The Cumberland Bar hidden away in Edinburgh’s New Town. When did you discover the delights of Argyll and the West Highlands? I’ve always taken great delight in trips to the west coast of Scotland. The seascapes, the wild coastline, and the remarkable skies are all entrancing. It is a truly beautiful part of the world – even on a wet and misty autumn day.

How do you relax?

Good music, good food and the company of good friends and family.

FieldFACTS

‘The Lost Art of Gratitude’ (an Isabel Dalhousie novel) and ‘The Mma Ramotswe Cookbook’ (written by Stuart Brown with input and a foreword by Alexander McCall Smith) are on sale now