Agathachristie.net

Interview with the Editor and Agatha's Grandson on BBC

EDITOR — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:42:00 +0100

BBC WorldService interviewed Ragnar Jonasson, editor of AgathaChristie.net, and Matthew Prichard, Agatha Christie's grandson, on Christie's 118th birthday, in connection with the recently found Christie tapes. Christie recorded them when preparing to write her autobiography, and they contain priceless insight into the live of this great author. You can listen to the BBC interview with Ragnar and Matthew here.

Clever offer...

EDITOR — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:36:00 +0100

I just received my copy of The Mysterious Bookshop Newsletter and noticed in there, a very clever offer from my friends at this great bookstore in NYC. For 50 USD they will select twelve titles for you from their collection of hardcover golden age mysteries, published mainly between the wars. If you are interested I recommend you contact Rob , rob (at) mysteriousbookshop.com. I'm sure they have some wonderful Christie (or Christie-esque) in between.

Thirty two years from Agatha Christie's death

EDITOR — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Today on January 12, there are 32 years to the date from the death of Agatha Christie, one year after having become a Dame of the British Empire. Christie died "peacfully and gently".

" Agatha Christie died on January 12, 1976, after enduring failing health for several years. Her husband wrote in the "Epiloge" to Mallowan's Memoirs that she died "peacefully and gently" and left him with a great loss for "Few men know what it is to live in harmony beside an imaginative, creative mind which inspires life with zest." - Dawn B. Sova, Ph.D. (Agatha Christie A to Z), 1996.

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 in Torquay in England, as Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller. She was educated at home and studied singing and piano in Paris. In 1914 she married Archibald Christie, but then World War I had broken out. Agatha worked as a nurse in a Red Cross hospital in Torquay at that time and that experience was useful later on.

Her first book was published in 1920, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. There, readers met Hercule Poirot, the eccentric Belgian detective with the funny-looking moustache. But Agatha's books first attracted attention in 1926 when she publised The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Agatha made news herself when she disappeared for a few days after her husband wanted a divorce. She was soon found to be staying in a hotel under an alias. Her disappearance is still a mystery. She and Archibald divorced in 1928 (he died in 1962). When she was around 40 years old she went on a holiday and visited e.g. Iraq where she met archaeologist Max Mallowan, who was 14 years younger than her. They married in 1930 and Agatha Christie became Agatha Christie Mallowan. During World War II Agatha worked in the dispensary of University College Hospital in London. She often assisted her husband on excavations, e.g. in Iraq and Syria.

Agatha Christie wrote nearly seventy novels in her career and more than a hundred short stories. Her most famous characters are Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and the latter one was her personal favorite. She also wrote a few books about Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, and in some books there was no particular main character. Agatha Christie also wrote six romantic novels under the name Mary Westmacott. Agatha's plays have also made her famous and her best known play, The Mousetrap, is most likely the best known mystery play in the world.

Agatha was the president of the Detection Club. She became Dame Agatha in 1971. Agatha Christie died 12 January 1976, and two years later Max Mallowan died.

Did Poirot meet Sherlock Holmes?

EDITOR — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:50:00 +0000

A reader of this website, Mr. Rafe McGregor, recently published a short story, available on Amazon.com, titled The Belgian at Baker Street: Did Hercule Poirot meet Sherlock Holmes. Mr. McGregor told us: "The Short contains, as far as I know, the only complete biography of Poirot, and I'd love to hear feedback from anyone who agrees or disagrees with my proposals." If you would like to contact Mr. Gregor his email address is rafeg AT aol.com, and you can purchase his story via this link.

Have you read this story? Please comment below - did you like the story or disagree with the author?

Welcome

EDITOR — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 23:18:00 +0000