Alexander McCall Smith reflects on the impact that his No. 1 Ladies Detective series has had on the way Africa is perceived in other parts of the world – a series that has gained even greater popularity since the launch of it’s TV counterpart, with US actress and R&B singer Jill Scott playing the lead:
As the main character in Alexander McCall Smith’s series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe has also brought fame to Botswana and its capital Gaborone, where her story is located.
Now comprising 10 books with more than 20 million copies sold worldwide, a film directed by the late Anthony Minghella in 2008, and a subsequent BBC series also shown in the United States and Africa, the success of Mma Ramotse had, nonetheless, simple origins.
McCall Smith remembers on his website that during a visit in Botswana, while taking a walk, “I met a woman who gave a chicken to the people with whom I was staying. I remember thinking at the time: This is a remarkable woman, I wonder what her life story is.”
Reflecting on the success of his books during a visit to Gaborone last week, Scottish author McCall Smith told the German Press Agency he also believes readers have grown tired of the stock portrayal of Africa as violent and corrupt.
“The normal portrayal of Africa is one of a continent in failure, but there is another side to the picture,” he said.
Watch video clips related to the TV series:
Video: Alexander McCall Smith at the Premier of the No. 1 Ladies Detective TV series
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcTRN5UjRHU[/youtube]
Video: Promotional clip for the No. 1 Ladies Detective TV series
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGoDTlCwrgc[/youtube]
Book details
Please register or log in to comment
