In a Time of Distance
And Other Poems
Written by Alexander McCall Smith / Illustrated by Iain McIntosh
£9.99 £7.99
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Reviews
His poetic voice is conversational, companionable, friendly. A "maker of beautiful books," he writes, "understands that text/ should whisper to us its message,/ Like a confiding friend,/Not in the trumpet tones/ Of the strident, the polemical/ But gently, tactfully/ In the private places of exchange/ Where the loud and the angry/ Have no wish to linger." It is such books, books like this one, that in a time of strident and dishonest polemics readers should attend to with a feeling ear'
The Scotsman
The many admirers of the fiction of Alexander McCall Smith will be totally charmed by a book of poems he has produced. He reveals the same genial, quietly wise persona, whether offering gentle philosophy about life, writing about the seven hills of Edinburgh or running an elegant series of sonnets'
The Herald
The many admirers of the fiction of Alexander McCall Smith will be totally charmed by a book of poems he has produced. He reveals the same genial, quietly wise persona, whether offering gentle philosophy about life, writing about the seven hills of Edinburgh or running an elegant series of sonnets'
Herald, Poem of the Day (The Gentleness of Whales)
A book to treasure and return to through the year and across the years. All the poems inspire reflection, and an empathetic urge to take in the world through the eyes of others'
LoveReading
McCall Smith never beats the big drum or shouts his wares in the marketplace. His poetic voice is conversational, companionable, friendly'
Yorkshire Post
I had no idea the much-loved novelist AMS wrote poetry until a beautiful meditation dropped into my inbox during the strange days of Big Lockdown ... If you had never read one of his novels, these poems would make you love a writer whose optimism and grace give you hope for the world, 'its beauty revealed afresh''
Daily Mail
About the Book
What really counts in this life? For the writer, Alexander McCall Smith, it is friendship and love – themes that crop up time and again in his novels. And it is these themes that he explores in this collection of poems.
In this book, divided into nine sections, the author takes you on a journey across the globe from Africa to Greece, London to Mumbai, and back home to Edinburgh. In a Time of Distance is a captivating celebration of place and people, but also of animals and books. Looking at the world through the lens of this writer it is a better, more humane place. Throughout these poems there are moments of swoop and soar, descriptions that will make you laugh and realign your view. In this collection, Alexander McCall Smith reminds us to look at the world differently, to stop once in while and look up at the sky.