Date Published: 6th March 2025

On the eve of World Book Day 2025 Sir Alexander McCall Smith spoke at a special event at Fettes School exploring empathy in education. Taking place in the Fettes theatre and live streamed to members of the school community, this fascinating, and very current, conversation was both uplifting and inspirational.

In a conversation with Charlie Minogue, Headmaster of Fettes Prep, Sir Alexander spoke of the importance of storytelling in education and of moral imagination.

Charlie Minogue said, “This conversation started because both Sir Alexander and I expressed a view, publicly, that kindness matters and that schools have a role to play in encouraging kindness and empathy.

“From our conversation last night, this is clearly something we both feel deeply about and of the importance of embedding this in children’s learning, from a young age.

I was particularly struck by Sir Alexander’s description of what moral imagination means to him, of it being an aspect of empathy and being able to imagine what it is like to be in a situation for either oneself or for another. To effectively put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”

The conversation ended with Sir Alexander answering questions from students and taking time to sign books.