Dibs

Alexander McCall Smith’s lighthearted mystery novels featuring plump female detective Precious Ramotswe have introduced the African country of Botswana to readers worldwide. The author is also a bassoonist (his wife plays the flute), and his first-ever concert in Botswana drew an enthusiastic crowd, according to Mmegi, a Botswanan paper. Dressed in a kilt and other “traditional Scottish attire,” the Zimbabwe-born novelist and professor of medical law presented “An Evening of Music & Laughter with Precious Ramotswe.” The paper reports: “During the break, hundreds of patrons who had carried their copies of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, had a light moment with the famous author as he signed autographs and shared ideas with some. Despite not singing, McCall Smith had brought the opera pair of Nicola and Malcom Wood to add colour to the concert. They performed Summertime, Hippopotamus Song and a Scottish song, The Wee Cooper of Five.” The reporter mis-heard the song’s actual name, which is “The Wee Cooper of Fife.” Its first stanza goes: “There was a wee cooper wha’ lived in Fife,/Nickety nackety, noo, noo, noo./And he hae gotten a gentle wife,/Hey Willie Wallacky, Ho, John Dougal,/Alane quo’ rushety roo, roo, roo.”