Alexander McCall Smith honoured on King’s New Year list

Scottish Field columnist and author Alexander McCall Smith has been honoured as Knight Bachelor in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours list.

The acclaimed Scottish writer was recognised his service to literature, academia and charity.

Perhaps best-known for his series of novels set in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Alexander is the author of more than 120 books, many of which are translated into 47 languages around the world.

He is also the creative-mind behind The Great Tapestry of Scotland, the largest community arts project in recent times and the longest embroidered tapestry in the world.

‘I am both thrilled and deeply humbled to receive this honour,’ he said. ‘It is not really for me but for the many people who have helped me to bring my books into existence.

‘One thing that this development makes me do, is to think of all the people in Scottish publishing whose hard work started this off and sustained it.

‘We are so lucky in Scotland to have such enthusiastic publishers who do so much for their authors and for the cause of Scottish literature. I am so grateful to them, to the booksellers and festival organisers and – of course – to my readers.’