Precious and the Puggies: Precious Ramotswe's Very First Case (Scots Edition)
Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels have been captivating audiences around the world since 1999, selling some 20 million copies in 42 languages. But when the Edinburgh author unveiled his newest book, it showcased yet another language: Scots. Precious and the Puggies (Precious and the Monkeys), which tells the story of the first case his world-famous detective, precious Ramotswe, was involved in as an eight-year-old growing up in Botswana, will only be available in Scots for the first year. The book, written for children, begins: "Hae ye ever said intae yersel no oot lood, mind, but quiet-like, jist in yer heid: 'Wid it no be braw tae be a detective?" Although no native Scots speaker, McCall Smith wrote the novel in English and then had it translated into Scots. "The fact that so many of the books have been translated into so many languages is a source of great delight," said the author at the new book's launch. "But the fact that this new story is appearing in Scots is the icing on the cake..." --Scottish Life Summer 2010