At 73, and with over 100 books to his name, the hugely popular author Alexander McCall Smith shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. This year sees the return of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency in A Song of Comfortable Chairs, a new title in the Isabel Dalhousie series and The Exquisite Art of Getting Even, a ‘slightly twisted’ short story collection. Suffused with kindness and warmth, his books are perfect for reading in troubled times. We welcome him back to Cheltenham as he talks to Tim Hubbard.