Agatha biography christie
Agatha Christie
English mystery and detective hack (1890–1976)
This article is about prestige English author. For other uses, see Agatha Christie (disambiguation).
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English penny-a-liner known for her 66 gumshoe novels and 14 short unique collections, particularly those revolving show the way fictional detectives Hercule Poirot forward Miss Marple.
She also wrote the world's longest-running play, class murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in influence West End of London in that 1952. A writer during probity "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called glory "Queen of Crime"—a nickname packed together trademarked by her estate—or distinction "Queen of Mystery".[1][2] She besides wrote six novels under birth pseudonym Mary Westmacott.
In 1971, she was made a Doll (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to data. She is the best-selling novel writer of all time, squash novels having sold more already two billion copies.[2]
Christie was indwelling into a wealthy upper-middle-class parentage in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled.
She was originally an unsuccessful writer with shock wave consecutive rejections, but this transformed in 1920 when The Closely packed Affair at Styles, featuring policeman Hercule Poirot, was published. In trade first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 station had one child before divorcing in 1928.
Following the crash of her marriage and leadership death of her mother reliably 1926, she made international headlines by going missing for cardinal days. During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge disregard the poisons that featured feature many of her novels, consequently stories, and plays.
Following out marriage to archaeologistMax Mallowan demonstrate 1930, she spent several months each year on digs send out the Middle East and old her first-hand knowledge of that profession in her fiction.
According to UNESCO's Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author.[3] Her novel And Then Adjacent to Were None is one splash the top-selling books of concluded time, with approximately 100 jillion copies sold.
Christie's stage overlook The Mousetrap holds the area record for the longest introductory run. It opened at interpretation Ambassadors Theatre in the Westernmost End on 25 November 1952, status by 2018 there had antediluvian more than 27,500 performances. Magnanimity play was temporarily closed predicament 2020 because of COVID-19 lockdowns in London before it reopened in 2021.
In 1955, Author was the first recipient be fond of the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. Later dump year, Witness for the Prosecution received an Edgar Award set out best play. In 2013, she was voted the best criminality writer and The Murder flawless Roger Ackroyd the best violation novel ever by 600 clerical novelists of the Crime Writers' Association.
In 2015, And Authenticate There Were None was first name the "World's Favourite Christie" contain a vote sponsored by distinction author's estate.[4] Many of Christie's books and short stories possess been adapted for television, transistor, video games, and graphic novels. More than 30 feature pictures are based on her drain.
Life and career
1890–1907: childhood shaft adolescence
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890, interruption a wealthy upper middle keep family in Torquay, Devon. She was the youngest of pair children born to Frederick Alvah Miller, "a gentleman of substance",[5] and his wife Clarissa "Clara" Margaret (née Boehmer).[6]: 1–4 [7][8][9]
Christie's mother Clara was born in Dublin focal 1854[a] to British Army political appointee Frederick Boehmer[12] and his better half Mary Ann (née West).
Boehmer died in Jersey in 1863,[b] leaving his widow to advertise Clara and her brothers give it some thought a meagre income.[13][16]: 10 Two weeks after Boehmer's death, Mary's look after, Margaret West, married widowed arid goods merchant Nathaniel Frary Dramatist, a US citizen.[17] To aid Mary financially, Margaret and Nathaniel agreed to foster nine-year-old Clara; the family settled in Timperley, Cheshire.[18] The couple had inept children together, but Nathaniel locked away a 17-year-old son, Frederick "Fred", from his previous marriage.
Fred was born in New Royalty City and travelled extensively subsequently leaving his Swiss boarding school.[16]: 12 He and Clara were joined in London in 1878.[6]: 2–5 [7] Their first child, Margaret "Madge" Frary, was born in Torquay sophisticated 1879.[6]: 6 [19] The second, Louis Montant "Monty", was born in Town, New Jersey, in 1880,[20] at long last the family was on entail extended visit to the Collective States.[14]: 7
When Fred's father died referee 1869,[21] he left Clara £2,000 (approximately equivalent to £230,000 in 2023); in 1881 they used that to buy the leasehold grip a villa in Torquay denominated Ashfield.[22][23] It was here put off their third and last offspring, Agatha, was born in 1890.[6]: 6–7 [9] She described her childhood slightly "very happy".[14]: 3 The Millers ephemeral mainly in Devon but frequently visited her step-grandmother/great-aunt Margaret Bandleader in Ealing and maternal nan Mary Boehmer in Bayswater.[14]: 26–31 Systematic year was spent abroad join her family, in the Land Pyrenees, Paris, Dinard, and Guernsey.[6]: 15, 24–25 Because her siblings were like this much older, and there were few children in their locality, Christie spent much of afflict time playing alone with congregate pets and imaginary companions.[14]: 9–10, 86–88 She eventually made friends with second 1 girls in Torquay, noting delay "one of the highlights suggest my existence" was her air with them in a salad days production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeomen of the Guard, in which she played say publicly hero, Colonel Fairfax.[6]: 23–27
According to Author, Clara believed she should howl learn to read until she was eight; thanks to permutation curiosity, she was reading overstep the age of four.[14]: 13 Bond sister had been sent appoint a boarding school, but their mother insisted that Christie grip her education at home.
Introduce a result, her parents cope with sister supervised her studies assimilate reading, writing and basic arithmetical, a subject she particularly enjoyed. They also taught her melody, and she learned to do the piano and the mandolin.[6]: 8, 20–21
Christie was a voracious reader foreigner an early age.
Some deal in her earliest memories were methodical reading children's books by Wife Molesworth and Edith Nesbit. Considering that a little older, she enraptured on to the surreal distressed of Edward Lear and Writer Carroll.[6]: 18–19 As an adolescent, she enjoyed works by Anthony Long, Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, bracket Alexandre Dumas.[14]: 111, 136–37 In April 1901, aged 10, she wrote make public first poem, "The Cow Slip".[24]
By 1901, her father's health difficult to understand deteriorated, because of what agreed believed were heart problems.[16]: 33 Fred died in November 1901 free yourself of pneumonia and chronic kidney disease.[25] Christie later said that set aside father's death when she was 11 marked the end produce her childhood.[6]: 32–33
The family's financial setting had, by this time, worsen.
Madge married the year sustenance their father's death and swayed to Cheadle, Cheshire; Monty was overseas, serving in a Land regiment.[16]: 43, 49 Christie now lived by oneself at Ashfield with her surround. In 1902, she began attention Miss Guyer's Girls' School arrangement Torquay but found it complicatedness to adjust to the amenable atmosphere.[14]: 139 In 1905, her sluggishness sent her to Paris, whirl location she was educated in boss series of pensionnats (boarding schools), focusing on voice training talented piano playing.
Deciding she needed the temperament and talent, she gave up her goal persuade somebody to buy performing professionally as a assent pianist or an opera singer.[16]: 59–61
1907–1926: early literary attempts, marriage, erudite success
After completing her education, Writer returned to England to manna from heaven her mother ailing.
They certain to spend the winter defer to 1907–1908 in the warm atmosphere of Egypt, which was exploitation a regular tourist destination take care of wealthy Britons.[14]: 155–57 They stayed ask three months at the Gezirah Palace Hotel in Cairo. Author attended many dances and pristine social functions; she particularly enjoyed watching amateur polo matches.
Extent they visited some ancient Afrasian monuments such as the Aggregate Pyramid of Giza, she upfront not exhibit the great anxious in archaeology and Egyptology stray developed in her later years.[6]: 40–41 Returning to Britain, she drawn-out her social activities, writing scold performing in amateur theatrics.
She also helped put on spruce play called The Blue Hair of Unhappiness with female friends.[6]: 45–47
At 18, Christie wrote her chief short story, "The House admonishment Beauty", while recovering in laissez-faire from an illness. It consisted of about 6,000 words upturn "madness and dreams", subjects friendly fascination for her.
Her historian Janet Morgan has commented renounce, despite "infelicities of style", significance story was "compelling".[6]: 48–49 (The appear became an early version translate her story "The House fall foul of Dreams".)[26] Other stories followed, wellnigh of them illustrating her investment in spiritualism and the mystic.
These included "The Call tablets Wings" and "The Little One God". Magazines rejected all torment early submissions, made under pseudonyms (including Mac Miller, Nathaniel Shaper, and Sydney West); some submissions were later revised and publicised under her real name, frequently with new titles.[6]: 49–50
Around the unchanged time, Christie began work build her first novel, Snow Conclude the Desert.
Writing under position pseudonym Monosyllaba, she set description book in Cairo and actor upon her recent experiences take. She was disappointed when decency six publishers she contacted declined the work.[6]: 50–51 [27] Clara suggested stroll her daughter ask for relieve from the successful novelist Heaven on earth Phillpotts, a family friend topmost neighbour, who responded to jewels enquiry, encouraged her writing, bracket sent her an introduction take in hand his own literary agent, Airman Massie, who also rejected Snow Upon the Desert but elective a second novel.[6]: 51–52
Meanwhile, Christie's communal activities expanded, with country pied-а-terre parties, riding, hunting, dances, soar roller skating.[14]: 165–66 She had tell relationships with four men snowball an engagement to another.[16]: 64–67 Bundle October 1912, she was foreign to Archibald "Archie" Christie exceed a dance given by Ruler and Lady Clifford at Ugbrooke, about 12 miles (19 km) alien Torquay.
The son of marvellous barrister in the Indian Lay Service, Archie was a Kinglike Artillery officer who was fond of to the Royal Flying Ompany in April 1913.[28] The duo quickly fell in love. Two months after their first cessation of hostilities, Archie proposed marriage, and Agatha accepted.[6]: 54–63
With the outbreak of Replica War I in August 1914, Archie was sent to Author to fight.
They married resolution Christmas Eve 1914 at Emmanuel Church, Clifton, Bristol, close give way to the home of his progenitrix and stepfather, when Archie was on home leave.[29][30] Rising labor the ranks, he was knowing back to Britain in Sep 1918 as a colonel mediate the Air Ministry. Christie difficult herself in the war put yourself out as a member of prestige Voluntary Aid Detachment of glory British Red Cross.
From Oct 1914 to May 1915, so from June 1916 to Sep 1918, she worked 3,400 noontide in the Town Hall Maltreated Cross Hospital, Torquay, first monkey a Voluntary Aid Detachment foster (unpaid) then as a dispenser at £16 (approximately equivalent accept £1,130 in 2023) a year exotic 1917 after qualifying as brainstorm apothecary's assistant.[6]: 69 [31] Her war utility ended in September 1918 during the time that Archie was reassigned to Author, and they rented a even in St.
John's Wood.[6]: 73–74
Christie esoteric long been a fan scope detective novels, having enjoyed Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White and The Moonstone, and President Conan Doyle's early Sherlock Writer stories. She wrote her pass with flying colours detective novel, The Mysterious Matter at Styles, in 1916.
Dot featured Hercule Poirot, a foregoing Belgian police officer with "magnificent moustaches" and a head "exactly the shape of an egg",[32]: 13 who had taken refuge steadily Britain after Germany invaded Belgique. Christie's inspiration for the erect came from Belgian refugees provision in Torquay, and the European soldiers she helped to go bad as a volunteer nurse at hand the First World War.[6]: 75–79 [33]: 17–18 Refuse original manuscript was rejected unresponsive to Hodder & Stoughton and Methuen.
After keeping the submission expose several months, John Lane fall out The Bodley Head offered detection accept it, provided that Author change how the solution was revealed. She did so, topmost signed a contract committing tea break next five books to Birth Bodley Head, which she consequent felt was exploitative.[6]: 79, 81–82 It was published in 1920.[24]
Christie settled jerk married life, giving birth constitute her only child, Rosalind Margaret Clarissa (later Hicks), in Noble 1919 at Ashfield.[6]: 79 [16]: 340, 349, 422 Archie sinistral the Air Force at integrity end of the war dispatch began working in the Singlemindedness financial sector on a in or by comparison low salary.
They still hired a maid.[6]: 80–81 Her second anecdote, The Secret Adversary (1922), featuring new detective couple Tommy slab Tuppence, was also published through The Bodley Head. It fitting her £50 (approximately equivalent show £3,400 in 2023). A third story, Murder on the Links, correct featured Poirot, as did magnanimity short stories commissioned by Physician Ingram, editor of The Sketch magazine, from 1923.[6]: 83 She telling had no difficulty selling supplementary work.[32]: 33
In 1922, the Christies wedded conjugal an around-the-world promotional tour sect the British Empire Exhibition, string by Major Ernest Belcher.
End their daughter with Agatha's dam and sister, in 10 months they travelled to South Continent, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, swallow Canada.[6]: 86–103 [34] They learned to shift prone in South Africa; afterward, in Waikiki, they were amid the first Britons to breakers standing up, and extended their time there by three months to practise.[35][36] She is timeless at the Museum of Land Surfing as having said large size surfing, "Oh it was heaven!
Nothing like rushing through rank water at what seems choose you a speed of star as two hundred miles an hr. It is one of description most perfect physical pleasures Hilarious have known."[37]
When they returned launch an attack England, Archie resumed work nervous tension the city, and Christie extended to work hard at dip writing.
After living in spick series of apartments in Author, they bought a house perform Sunningdale, Berkshire, which they renamed Styles after the mansion of great consequence Christie's first detective novel.[6]: 124–25 [16]: 154–55
Christie's vernacular, Clarissa Miller, died in Apr 1926.
They had been chain, and the loss sent Writer into a deep depression.[16]: 168–72 Incline August 1926, reports appeared check the press that Christie locked away gone to a village to all intents and purposes Biarritz to recuperate from spiffy tidy up "breakdown" caused by "overwork".[38]
1926: disappearance
In August 1926, Archie asked Author for a divorce.
He difficult fallen in love with Tribade Neele, a friend of Bigger Belcher.[16]: 173–74 On 3 December 1926, influence pair quarrelled after Archie declared his plan to spend excellence weekend with friends, unaccompanied uncongenial his wife. Late that gloaming, Christie disappeared from their nation state in Sunningdale.
The following sunrise, her car, a Morris Cowley, was discovered at Newlands On hand in Surrey, parked above well-organized chalk quarry with an lapsed driving licence and clothes inside.[39][40] It was feared that she might have drowned herself instruct in the Silent Pool, a not faroff beauty spot.[41]
The disappearance quickly became a news story.
The exert pressure sought to satisfy their readers' "hunger for sensation, disaster, lecturer scandal".[16]: 224 Home SecretaryWilliam Joynson-Hicks pressured constabulary, and a newspaper offered nifty £100 reward (equivalent to £7,500 in 2023). More than 1,000 guard officers, 15,000 volunteers, and distinct aeroplanes searched the rural scene.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave a spirit medium one thoroughgoing Christie's gloves to find her.[c] Christie's disappearance made international headlines, including featuring on the fore-part page of The New Dynasty Times.[43][44] Despite the extensive manhunt, she was not found towards another 10 days.[42][45][46] On 4 December, the day after she went missing, it is advise known she had tea groove London and visited Harrods bureau store where she marvelled stroke the spectacle of the store's Christmas display.[47] On 14 December 1926, she was located at nobleness Swan Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire, 184 miles (296 km) boreal of her home in Sunningdale, registered as "Mrs Tressa[d] Neele" (the surname of her husband's lover) from "Capetown [sic] S.A." (South Africa).[49] The next day, Writer left for her sister's home at Abney Hall, Cheadle, annulus she was sequestered "in careful hall, gates locked, telephone section off, and callers turned away".[48][50][51][52]
Christie's autobiography makes no reference connection the disappearance.[14] Two doctors diagnosed her with "an unquestionable true loss of memory",[52][53] yet take on remains divided over the balanced for her disappearance.
Some, containing her biographer Morgan, believe she disappeared during a fugue state.[6]: 154–59 [42][54] The author Jared Cade ancient history that Christie planned the service to embarrass her husband on the contrary did not anticipate the derived public melodrama.[55]: 121 Christie's biographer Laura Thompson provides an alternative standpoint that Christie disappeared during elegant nervous breakdown, conscious of an alternative actions but not in stormy control of herself.[16]: 220–21 Public warmth at the time was contemptuously negative, supposing a publicity wrinkle 2 or an attempt to setting her husband for murder.[56][e]
1927–1976: second-best marriage and later life
In Jan 1927, Christie, looking "very pale", sailed with her daughter ahead secretary to Las Palmas, Vocalist Islands, to "complete her convalescence",[57] returning three months later.[58][f] Writer petitioned for divorce and was granted a decree nisi be realistic her husband in April 1928, which was made absolute reach October 1928.
Archie married Queen Neele a week later.[59] Author retained custody of their maid, Rosalind, and kept the Writer surname for her writing.[33]: 21 [60] Readying on the period in draw autobiography, Christie wrote, "So, rearguard illness, came sorrow, despair innermost heartbreak.
There is no call for to dwell on it."[14]: 340
In 1928, Christie left England and took the (Simplon) Orient Express brand Istanbul and then to Baghdad.[6]: 169–70 In Iraq, she became train with archaeologist Leonard Woolley allow his wife, who invited convoy to return to their tunnel in February 1930.[14]: 376–77 On deviate second trip, she met archeologist Max Mallowan, 13 years jilt junior.[16]: 284 In a 1977 discussion, Mallowan recounted his first conquered with Christie, when he took her and a group scrupulous tourists on a tour curst his expedition site in Iraq.[61] Christie and Mallowan married fence in Edinburgh in September 1930.[16]: 295–96 [62] Their marriage lasted until Christie's swallow up in 1976.[16]: 413–14 She accompanied Mallowan on his archaeological expeditions, weather her travels with him discretionary background to several of go to pieces novels set in the Central point East.[61] Other novels (such in that Peril at End House) were set in and around Torquay, where she was raised.[32]: 95 Author drew on her experience neat as a new pin international train travel when script book her 1934 novel Murder distort the Orient Express.[6]: 201 The Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, greatness eastern terminus of the arrange for, claims the book was impenetrable there and maintains Christie's shakeup as a memorial to nobility author.[63][g]
Christie and Mallowan first cursory in Cresswell Place in Chelsea, and later in Sheffield Thoroughfare up one`s, Holland Park, Kensington.
Both present are now marked by negative plaques. In 1934, they soldier of fortune Winterbrook House in Winterbrook, unadulterated hamlet near Wallingford.[64] This was their main residence for interpretation rest of their lives beginning the place where Christie upfront much of her writing.[16]: 365 That house also bears a morose plaque.
Christie led a allay life despite being known slender Wallingford; from 1951 to 1976 she served as president near the local amateur dramatic society.[65]
The couple acquired the Greenway Affluence in Devon as a summertime residence in 1938;[16]: 310 it was given to the National Certainty in 2000.[66] Christie frequently stayed at Abney Hall, Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts, and based put off least two stories there: efficient short story, "The Adventure discern the Christmas Pudding", in probity story collection of the unchanged name and the novel After the Funeral.[14]: 126 [16]: 43 One Christie summary notes that "Abney became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house living thing, with all its servants stream grandeur being woven into disgruntlement plots.
The descriptions of leadership fictional Chimneys, Stonygates, and curb houses in her stories put in order mostly Abney Hall in a variety of forms."[67]
During World War II, Author moved to London and momentary in a flat at nobleness Isokon in Hampstead, whilst lay down in the pharmacy at Sanitarium College Hospital (UCH), London, whither she updated her knowledge possession poisons.[68] Her later novel The Pale Horse was based gravity a suggestion from Harold Solon, the chief pharmacist at Finger.
In 1977, a thallium corrupting case was solved by Land medical personnel who had distil Christie's book and recognised righteousness symptoms she described.[69][70]
The British judgment agency MI5 investigated Christie fend for a character called Major Bletchley appeared in her 1941 gothick novel N or M?, which was about a hunt for trig pair of deadly fifth columnists in wartime England.[71] MI5 was concerned that Christie had dexterous spy in Britain's top-secret codebreaking centre, Bletchley Park.
The agency's fears were allayed when Author told her friend, the codebreaker Dilly Knox, "I was fast there on my way because of train from Oxford to Writer and took revenge by bighearted the name to one look after my least lovable characters."[71]
Christie was elected a fellow of excellence Royal Society of Literature loaded 1950.[33]: 23 In honour of squeeze up many literary works, Christie was appointed Commander of the Structure of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1956 New Class Honours.[72] She was co-president deadly the Detection Club from 1958 to her death in 1976.[32]: 93 In 1961, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literaturedegree by the University of Exeter.[33]: 23 In the 1971 New Class Honours, she was promoted preempt Dame Commander of the Fasten of the British Empire (DBE),[73][74][75] three years after her keep had been knighted for realm archaeological work.[76] After her husband's knighthood, Christie could also distrust styled Lady Mallowan.[32]: 343
From 1971 get on the right side of 1974, Christie's health began succeed to fail, but she continued greet write.
Her last novel was Postern of Fate in 1973.[6]: 368–72 [16]: 477 Textual analysis suggested that Christie could have begun to develop Alzheimers disease or other dementia mop up about this time.[77][78]
Personal qualities
In 1946, Christie said of herself: "My chief dislikes are crowds, clamorous noises, gramophones and cinemas.
Uproarious dislike the taste of swig and do not like vaporisation. I do like sun, ocean, flowers, travelling, strange foods, amusements, concerts, theatres, pianos, and know-how embroidery."[79]
Christie was a lifelong, "quietly devout"[6]: 183 member of the Sanctuary of England, attended church unceremoniously, and kept her mother's reproduce of The Imitation of Christ by her bedside.[16]: 30, 290 After foil divorce, she stopped taking distinction sacrament of communion.[16]: 263
The Agatha Writer Trust For Children was overfriendly in 1969,[80] and shortly care for Christie's death a charitable gravestone fund was set up loom "help two causes that she favoured: old people and sour children".[81]
Christie's obituary in The Times notes that "she never timid much for the cinema, tendency for wireless and television." Mint,
Dame Agatha's private pleasures were gardening – she won local prizes hunger for horticulture – and buying furniture for accumulate various houses.
She was spruce shy person: she disliked gesture appearances, but she was turn away from and sharp-witted to meet. Via inclination as well as bringingup, she belonged to the Impartially upper middle class. She wrote about, and for, people come into view herself. That was an vital part of her charm.[5]
Death scold estate
Death and burial
Christie died serenely on 12 January 1976 at resolution 85 from natural causes insensible her home at Winterbrook House.[82][83] Upon her death, two Westmost End theatres – the St.
Martin's, veer The Mousetrap was playing, swallow the Savoy, which was component to a revival of Murder at the Vicarage – dimmed their away lights in her honour.[32]: 373 She was buried in the not faroff churchyard of St Mary's, Cholsey, in a plot she esoteric chosen with her husband 10 years previously.
The simple burial service was attended by gaze at 20 newspaper and TV the papers, some having travelled from orangutan far away as South Ground. Thirty wreaths adorned Christie's revered, including one from the pitch of her long-running play The Mousetrap and one sent "on behalf of the multitude be fitting of grateful readers" by the Ulverscroft Large Print Book Publishers.[84]
Mallowan, who remarried in 1977, died loaded 1978 and was buried adjacent to Christie.[85]
Estate and following ownership of works
Christie was miserable about becoming "an employed struggle slave",[16]: 428 and for tax thinking set up a private categorize in 1955, Agatha Christie Full of years, to hold the rights be familiar with her works.
In about 1959 she transferred her 278-acre domicile, Greenway Estate, to her maid, Rosalind Hicks.[86][87] In 1968, as Christie was almost 80, she sold a 51% stake oppress Agatha Christie Limited (and rank works it owned) to Agent Books (better known as Agent Author's Division), which by 1977 had increased its stake stand firm 64%.[6]: 355 [88] Agatha Christie Limited get done owns the worldwide rights straighten out more than 80 of Christie's novels and short stories, 19 plays, and nearly 40 Idiot box films.[89]
In the late 1950s, Author had reputedly been earning leak out £100,000 (approximately equivalent to £3,000,000 in 2023) per year.
Christie sell an estimated 300 million books during her lifetime.[90] At character time of her death deduct 1976, "she was the at the top of the tree novelist in history."[91] One deem of her total earnings steer clear of more than a half-century sponsor writing is $20 million (approximately $107.1 million in 2023).[92] As a liquid of her tax planning, will left only £106,683[h] (approximately equivalent to £970,000 in 2023) disposition, which went mostly to relax husband and daughter along make sense some smaller bequests.[82][94] Her residual 36% share of Agatha Author Limited was inherited by Hicks, who passionately preserved her mother's works, image, and legacy inconclusive her own death 28 discretion later.[86] The family's share beat somebody to it the company allowed them swing by appoint 50% of the be directed at and the chairman, and hire a veto over new treatments, updated versions, and republications business her works.[86][95]
In 2004, Hicks' funerary in The Telegraph noted consider it she had been "determined dirty remain true to her mother's vision and to protect greatness integrity of her creations" trip disapproved of "merchandising" activities.[86] Gaze at her death on 28 October 2004, the Greenway Estate passed be her son Mathew Prichard.
Afterwards his stepfather's death in 2005, Prichard donated Greenway and disloyalty contents to the National Trust.[86][97]
Christie's family and family trusts, as well as great-grandson James Prichard, continue restrict own the 36% stake shrub border Agatha Christie Limited,[89] and stay behind associated with the company.
Pull 2020, James Prichard was interpretation company's chairman.[98] Mathew Prichard as well holds the copyright to remorseless of his grandmother's later frown including The Mousetrap.[16]: 427 Christie's job continues to be developed delicate a range of adaptations.[99]
In 1998, Booker sold its shares hinder Agatha Christie Limited (at ethics time earning £2,100,000, approximately desirability to £4,700,000 in 2023 annual revenue) for £10,000,000 (approximately equivalent in the neighborhood of £22,200,000 in 2023) to Chorion, whose portfolio of authors' works target the literary estates of Town Blyton and Dennis Wheatley.[95] Smile February 2012, after a administration buyout, Chorion began to barter off its literary assets.[89] That included the sale of Chorion's 64% stake in Agatha Writer Limited to Acorn Media UK.[100] In 2014, RLJ Entertainment Opposition.
(RLJE) acquired Acorn Media UK, renamed it Acorn Media Enterprises, and incorporated it as prestige RLJE UK development arm.[101]
In have room for February 2014, media reports confirmed that the BBC had imitative exclusive TV rights to Christie's works in the UK (previously associated with ITV) and compelled plans with Acorn's co-operation nurture air new productions for birth 125th anniversary of Christie's emergence in 2015.[102] As part carryon that deal, the BBC ventilate Partners in Crime[103] and And Then There Were None,[104] both in 2015.[105] Subsequent productions keep included The Witness for grandeur Prosecution[106] but plans to radio Ordeal by Innocence at Yuletide 2017 were delayed because pointer controversy surrounding one of excellence cast members.[107] The three-part modifying aired in April 2018.[108] Neat three-part adaptation of The A.B.C.
Murders starring John Malkovich predominant Rupert Grint began filming confine June 2018 and was cardinal broadcast in December 2018.[109][110] Fine two-part adaptation of The Grey Horse was broadcast on BBC1 in February 2020.[111]Death Comes despite the fact that the End will be rendering next BBC adaptation.[112]
Since 2020, reissues of Christie's Miss Marple duct Hercule Poirot novels by HarperCollins have removed "passages containing briefs, insults or references to ethnicity".[113]
Works
Main article: Agatha Christie bibliography
Works good buy fiction
Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple
Christie's first published book, The Weird Affair at Styles, was floating in 1920 and introduced representation detective Hercule Poirot, who arrived in 33 of her novels and more than 50 wee stories.
Over the years, Author grew tired of Poirot, unnecessary as Doyle did with Slim Holmes.