Scottish Success Stories

Who is the best-selling Scottish author you've never heard of? Over 17million copies of his books have been sold - a whole publishing company was set up to publish his books.

William Barclay was a classical scholar and Church of Scotland minister whose Daily Study Bible series was published by Saint Andrew Press in the 1950s, and has now been sold into 27 territories and translated into 14 languages.

Emma Blair and Jessica Stirling are two of Scotland's most successful commercial authors. Their historical romances, often set in wartime Scotland or against the backdrop of class strife, have been hugely popular with women for over 25 years. We celebrate these Scottish Successes - and wonder why Mr Iain Blair and Mr Hugh C. Rae have made their mark pretending to be women?

Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a publishing phenomenon - first published in 1998 by small Edinburgh Press Polygon, word of the slowly spread until Mma Ramotswe and her detective agency became a global success.

We start with Mairi Hedderwick's charming Katie Morag picture books. The first book was written way back in 1984 - find out more in Success Stories: The Katie Morag Stories.