BBC7

Alexander McCall Smith was born in Africa and went to school in Zimbabwe before moving to Scotland. He studied law and became a professor.

It was in this role that he first returned to Africa to work in Botswana, where he helped to set up a new law school. Whilst Alexander was in Africa that he got the idea for the Akimbo stories.

In fact, over the past twenty years, he has written more than fifty books, including 30 childrens stories. His best-known kids books are The Perfect Hamburger andThe Bubblegum Tree.

He is currently Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh where he lives with his wife Elizabeth (a doctor), their two daughters Lucy and Emily, and their cat Gordon.

His hobbies include playing musical instruments and he is involved with an amateur orchestra called "The Really Terrible Orchestra" in which he plays the bassoon and his wife plays the flute.

Listen out for three of his books on The Big Toe Radio Show: Akimbo and The Lions, Akimbo and The Elephants and Akimbo and the Crocodile Man.