Q

'This is going to change my life': Alexander McCall Smith looks back on The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Prolific British author Alexander McCall Smith reflects on the novel that changed his life 20 years ago and discusses his latest book, The Quiet Side of Passion.
Alexander McCall Smith's latest book, The Quiet Side of Passion, is the 12th instalment of The Sunday Philosophy Club series. (Chris Watt)

In 1998, author Alexander McCall Smith​ published his massively successful novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. That novel changed his life and transformed him into a one-man publishing industry. It has since spawned 18 sequels and counting, with total sales of more than 20 million copies and translations in 46 languages.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. McCall Smith hasn't just written a lot of books, he's written a lot of series of books. His latest novel, The Quiet Side of Passion, is the 12th entry in his Sunday Philosophy Club series.

Before digging into his new book, McCall Smith spoke to guest host Ali Hassan about the novel that changed his life 20 years ago, and tells us why he thinks it's captivated readers all over the world.

Listen to the full conversation with Alexander McCall Smith near the top of this page. 

— Produced by Stuart Berman​


Miss an episode of CBC q? Download our podcast here