Nummer Wan Ladies' Detective Agency

Dim Siawns — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:43:49 -0800

Whit wid ye dae if ye fund yersel face tae face wi a muckle lion? Staund as still as a stookie? Mak yer feet yer freens and rin? Creep awa quiet-like? Mibbe ye wid jist steek yer een and hope that ye were haein a dream – which is whit Obed did at first when he saw the frichtsome lion starin strecht at him. Alexander McCall Smith is the author of a series of lighthearted detective novels set in and around Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. The main character is Mma Ramotswe, who is the founder of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. The latest installment, "Precious and the Puggies", is a children's book, describing the first case Mma Ramotswe solved as a child. But surprisingly, for the first year of its print run, McCall Smith has opted to make the book available only in Scots. McCall Smith, who was born in Zimbabwe to Scottish parents, wrote the book in English, so the published version is in fact a translation. The publishers, who specialise in childrens books in Scots, and the Scottish Arts Council (first link above the fold) are quite pleased to have a book with so high a profile coming out in a Scots edition. A handy reference for ony wirds ye canna unnerstaun here

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