SCOTTISH author Alexander McCall Smith reckons he writes five novels a year – but readily admits he does have a tendency to lose count of them. During lockdown, this most hardworking of writers has been as busy as ever with no fewer than six new books coming out this year - definitely. Since coming to prominence with The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series set in Botswana, he’s written more than 60 books – he’s again not sure of the exact number – and sold more than 40 million, translated into 46 languages, making him one of the world’s most prolific and popular authors.