“Great art, she felt, had a calming effect on the viewer; it made one stop in awe, which is exactly what Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol did not do. You did not stop in awe. They stopped you in your tracks, perhaps, but that was not the same thing; awe was something quite different”

Scottish novelist and lawyer of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Alexander McCall Smith is best known for his series of gentle, philosophical novels set in Edinburgh and Africa, blending humor and wisdom. His works often explore themes of kindness, community, and the quiet joys of everyday life, earning him a devoted global readership.