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, with moments that swoop and soar, and descriptions that will make you laugh and realign your view.

This collection reminds us to look at the world differently, to stop once in while and look up at the sky.

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'His poetic voice is conversational, companionable, friendly ... 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'

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'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'

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'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'

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'McCall Smith never beats the big drum or shouts his wares in the marketplace. His poetic voice is conversational, companionable, friendly'

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'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''

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'Explores a wide array of themes including journeys, books, animals and places in what would be deemed light verse. The stand-out works in this collection speak volumes in our volatile, Covid-19 afflicted world. The tile poem beautifully portrays how the pandemic has allowed us the opportunity to reconnect with a true sense of happiness. Offers a cosy form of escapism through poetry that’s easily accessible for all readers'

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'This collection, which examines the themes of friendship and love, is a joyous affirmation of [McCall Smith’s] infatuation with the form. Delivered in his trademark genial, conversational style … accessible and highly enjoyable'