³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Precious Ramotswe, Isabel Dalhousie, and Professor Doctor Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld. What do they all have in common? They are all the creation of an African-born Scottish law professor who started writing novels in his 50s and is now a bestselling novelist. I speak, of course, of Alexander McCall Smith -- Sandy to his friends -- who will be visiting Belfast A return visit, in fact, since he lectured in Law at Queen's for a short time in the early 70s. The big screen soon beckons for Precious Ramotswe, the heroine of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency: a movie by Anthony Mingehella is now in post-production. I'll be interviewing Alexander McCall Smith at the Festival event; but I'll be visiting him at his home in Edinburgh tomorrow to film an interview for this year's ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Festival Nights programme. If, as some suspect, Alexander McCall Smith is himself the template for Mma Ramotswe, then his home in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh could well be the headquarters of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It's a theory.