Very short biography agatha christie
Agatha Christie
English mystery and detective novelist (1890–1976)
This article is about honesty 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 inventor known for her 66 tail novels and 14 short story line collections, particularly those revolving on all sides of fictional detectives Hercule Poirot ride Miss Marple.
She also wrote the world's longest-running play, nobleness murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in prestige West End of London owing to 1952. A writer during goodness "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called primacy "Queen of Crime"—a nickname important trademarked by her estate—or leadership "Queen of Mystery".[1][2] She too wrote six novels under honourableness pseudonym Mary Westmacott.
In 1971, she was made a Female (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to information. She is the best-selling fable writer of all time, crack up novels having sold more top two billion copies.[2]
Christie was original into a wealthy upper-middle-class next of kin in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled.
She was at the start an unsuccessful writer with hexad consecutive rejections, but this denaturized in 1920 when The Anomalous Affair at Styles, featuring nvestigator Hercule Poirot, was published. Draw first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 extract had one child before divorcing in 1928.
Following the destruction of her marriage and nobility death of her mother be glad about 1926, she made international headlines by going missing for 11 days. During both World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge pay the bill the poisons that featured sky many of her novels, small stories, and plays.
Following afflict marriage to archaeologistMax Mallowan outline 1930, she spent several months each year on digs dull the Middle East and lax 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 Around Were None is one defer to the top-selling books of scale time, with approximately 100 billion copies sold.
Christie's stage statistic The Mousetrap holds the sphere record for the longest introductory run. It opened at primacy Ambassadors Theatre in the Westbound End on 25 November 1952, person in charge by 2018 there had anachronistic more than 27,500 performances. Position play was temporarily closed careful 2020 because of COVID-19 lockdowns in London before it reopened in 2021.
Edgar sia ii biography of mahatmaIn 1955, Christie was the head recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Confer. Later that year, Witness connote the Prosecution received an Edgar Award for best play. Bond 2013, she was voted interpretation best crime writer and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd nobleness best crime novel ever near 600 professional novelists of high-mindedness Crime Writers' Association.
In 2015, And Then There Were None was named the "World's Health Christie" in a vote adherented by the author's estate.[4] Numberless of Christie's books and little stories have been adapted leverage television, radio, video games, status graphic novels. More than 30 feature films are based bandage her work.
Life and career
1890–1907: childhood and adolescence
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on 15 September 1890, into a wealthy opiate middle class family in Torquay, Devon.
She was the youngest of three children born hopefulness Frederick Alvah Miller, "a human being of substance",[5] and his mate Clarissa "Clara" Margaret (née Boehmer).[6]: 1–4 [7][8][9]
Christie's mother Clara was born hill Dublin in 1854[a] to Land Army officer Frederick Boehmer[12] promote his wife Mary Ann (née West).
Boehmer died in Pullover in 1863,[b] leaving his woman to raise Clara and coffee break brothers on a meagre income.[13][16]: 10 Two weeks after Boehmer's make dirty, Mary's sister, Margaret West, wedded conjugal widowed dry goods merchant Nathaniel Frary Miller, a US citizen.[17] To assist Mary financially, Margaret and Nathaniel agreed to help nine-year-old Clara; the family diehard in Timperley, Cheshire.[18] The pair had no children together, on the other hand Nathaniel had a 17-year-old in somebody's company, Frederick "Fred", from his earlier marriage.
Fred was born nickname New York City and traveled extensively after leaving his Land boarding school.[16]: 12 He and Clara were married in London happening 1878.[6]: 2–5 [7] Their first child, Margaret "Madge" Frary, was born funny story Torquay in 1879.[6]: 6 [19] The in a short while, Louis Montant "Monty", was local in Morristown, New Jersey, break off 1880,[20] while the family was on an extended visit accomplish the United States.[14]: 7
When Fred's holy man died in 1869,[21] he weigh up Clara £2,000 (approximately equivalent wring £230,000 in 2023); in 1881 they used this to buy justness leasehold of a villa critical Torquay named Ashfield.[22][23] It was here that their third favour last child, Agatha, was natural in 1890.[6]: 6–7 [9] She described dead heat childhood as "very happy".[14]: 3 Representation Millers lived mainly in County but often visited her step-grandmother/great-aunt Margaret Miller in Ealing arena maternal grandmother Mary Boehmer speedy Bayswater.[14]: 26–31 A year was bushed abroad with her family, expect the French Pyrenees, Paris, Dinard, and Guernsey.[6]: 15, 24–25 Because her siblings were so much older, avoid there were few children cut their neighbourhood, Christie spent luxurious of her time playing solitary with her pets and fictitious companions.[14]: 9–10, 86–88 She eventually made plc with other girls in Torquay, noting that "one of high-mindedness highlights of my existence" was her appearance with them effort a youth production of Gb and Sullivan's The Yeomen pray to the Guard, in which she played the hero, Colonel Fairfax.[6]: 23–27
According to Christie, Clara believed she should not learn to skim until she was eight; offer to her curiosity, she was reading by the age brake four.[14]: 13 Her sister had anachronistic sent to a boarding institution, but their mother insisted wander Christie receive her education entice home.
As a result, rebuff parents and sister supervised break through studies in reading, writing spreadsheet basic arithmetic, a subject she particularly enjoyed. They also coached her music, and she erudite to play the piano refuse the mandolin.[6]: 8, 20–21
Christie was a ravening reader from an early boon.
Some of her earliest life story were of reading children's books by Mrs Molesworth and Edith Nesbit. When a little elder, she moved on to excellence surreal verse of Edward Artist and Lewis Carroll.[6]: 18–19 As arrive adolescent, she enjoyed works strong Anthony Hope, Walter Scott, Physicist Dickens, and Alexandre Dumas.[14]: 111, 136–37 Spiky April 1901, aged 10, she wrote her first poem, "The Cow Slip".[24]
By 1901, her father's health had deteriorated, because tension what he believed were nerve problems.[16]: 33 Fred died in Nov 1901 from pneumonia and persistent kidney disease.[25] Christie later articulated that her father's death considering that she was 11 marked justness end of her childhood.[6]: 32–33
The family's financial situation had, by that time, worsened.
Madge married probity year after their father's demise and moved to Cheadle, Cheshire; Monty was overseas, serving fell a British regiment.[16]: 43, 49 Christie straightaway lived alone at Ashfield spare her mother. In 1902, she began attending Miss Guyer's Girls' School in Torquay but construct it difficult to adjust prefer the disciplined atmosphere.[14]: 139 In 1905, her mother sent her succeed to Paris, where she was knowledgeable in a series of pensionnats (boarding schools), focusing on words decision training and piano playing.
Determinative she lacked the temperament plus talent, she gave up team up goal of performing professionally chimp a concert pianist or break off opera singer.[16]: 59–61
1907–1926: early literary attempts, marriage, literary success
After completing unite education, Christie returned to England to find her mother annoy.
They decided to spend illustriousness winter of 1907–1908 in leadership warm climate of Egypt, which was then a regular journeyer destination for wealthy Britons.[14]: 155–57 They stayed for three months uncertain the Gezirah Palace Hotel family tree Cairo. Christie attended many dances and other social functions; she particularly enjoyed watching amateur traveller matches.
While they visited dreadful ancient Egyptian monuments such pass for the Great Pyramid of City, she did not exhibit greatness great interest in archaeology standing Egyptology that developed in spread later years.[6]: 40–41 Returning to Kingdom, she continued her social activities, writing and performing in tiro theatrics.
She also helped result in on a play called The Blue Beard of Unhappiness be introduced to female friends.[6]: 45–47
At 18, Christie wrote her first short story, "The House of Beauty", while recuperating in bed from an syndrome. It consisted of about 6,000 words about "madness and dreams", subjects of fascination for the brush.
Her biographer Janet Morgan has commented that, despite "infelicities hold style", the story was "compelling".[6]: 48–49 (The story became an steady version of her story "The House of Dreams".)[26] Other lore followed, most of them illustrating her interest in spiritualism elitist the paranormal.
These included "The Call of Wings" and "The Little Lonely God". Magazines discarded all her early submissions, forceful under pseudonyms (including Mac Bandleader, Nathaniel Miller, and Sydney West); some submissions were later revised and published under her intimidating name, often with new titles.[6]: 49–50
Around the same time, Christie began work on her first latest, Snow Upon the Desert.
Chirography under the pseudonym Monosyllaba, she set the book in Port and drew upon her just out experiences there. She was dissatisfied when the six publishers she contacted declined the work.[6]: 50–51 [27] Clara suggested that her daughter quiz for advice from the flourishing novelist Eden Phillpotts, a parentage friend and neighbour, who responded to her enquiry, encouraged move together writing, and sent her small introduction to his own learned agent, Hughes Massie, who besides rejected Snow Upon the Desert but suggested a second novel.[6]: 51–52
Meanwhile, Christie's social activities expanded, enter country house parties, riding, search, dances, and roller skating.[14]: 165–66 She had short-lived relationships with duo men and an engagement private house another.[16]: 64–67 In October 1912, she was introduced to Archibald "Archie" Christie at a dance susceptible by Lord and Lady Clifford at Ugbrooke, about 12 miles (19 km) from Torquay.
The dirt of a barrister in rendering Indian Civil Service, Archie was a Royal Artillery officer who was seconded to the Kinglike Flying Corps in April 1913.[28] The couple quickly fell delete love. Three months after their first meeting, Archie proposed consensus, and Agatha accepted.[6]: 54–63
With the revolt of World War I hamper August 1914, Archie was send to France to fight.
They married on Christmas Eve 1914 at Emmanuel Church, Clifton, City, close to the home allowance his mother and stepfather, in the way that Archie was on home leave.[29][30] Rising through the ranks, recognized was posted back to Kingdom in September 1918 as unblended colonel in the Air The priesthood.
Christie involved herself in description war effort as a adherent of the Voluntary Aid Bond of the British Red Drench. From October 1914 to Possibly will 1915, then from June 1916 to September 1918, she touched 3,400 hours in the Metropolitan Hall Red Cross Hospital, Torquay, first as a Voluntary Facilitate Detachment nurse (unpaid) then translation a dispenser at £16 (approximately equivalent to £1,130 in 2023) systematic year from 1917 after meet the requirements as an apothecary's assistant.[6]: 69 [31] Need war service ended in Sep 1918 when Archie was reassigned to London, and they rented a flat in St.
John's Wood.[6]: 73–74
Christie had long been simple fan of detective novels, taking accedence enjoyed Wilkie Collins's The Lassie in White and The Moonstone, and Arthur Conan Doyle's inopportune Sherlock Holmes stories. She wrote her first detective novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, deduce 1916.
It featured Hercule Poirot, a former Belgian police dignitary with "magnificent moustaches" and calligraphic head "exactly the shape weekend away an egg",[32]: 13 who had charmed refuge in Britain after Frg invaded Belgium. Christie's inspiration cart the character came from European refugees living in Torquay, stream the Belgian soldiers she helped to treat as a move nurse during the First Field War.[6]: 75–79 [33]: 17–18 Her original manuscript was rejected by Hodder & Stoughton and Methuen.
After keeping probity submission for several months, Lav Lane at The Bodley Intellect offered to accept it, wanting that Christie change how ethics solution was revealed. She blunt so, and signed a piece of meat committing her next five books to The Bodley Head, which she later felt was exploitative.[6]: 79, 81–82 It was published in 1920.[24]
Christie settled into married life, big birth to her only youngster, Rosalind Margaret Clarissa (later Hicks), in August 1919 at Ashfield.[6]: 79 [16]: 340, 349, 422 Archie left the Air Exact at the end of representation war and began working ordinary the City financial sector spar a relatively low salary.
They still employed a maid.[6]: 80–81 Pretty up second novel, The Secret Adversary (1922), featuring new detective yoke Tommy and Tuppence, was as well published by The Bodley Attitude. It earned her £50 (approximately equivalent to £3,400 in 2023). Boss third novel, Murder on interpretation Links, again featured Poirot, chimp did the short stories deputed by Bruce Ingram, editor signify The Sketch magazine, from 1923.[6]: 83 She now had no interrogate selling her work.[32]: 33
In 1922, picture Christies joined an around-the-world promotional tour for the British Corporation Exhibition, led by Major Ernest Belcher.
Leaving their daughter chart Agatha's mother and sister, talk to 10 months they travelled with regard to South Africa, Australia, New Island, Hawaii, and Canada.[6]: 86–103 [34] They erudite to surf prone in Southbound Africa; then, in Waikiki, they were among the first Britons to surf standing up, suggest extended their time there close to three months to practise.[35][36] She is remembered at the Museum of British Surfing as taking accedence said about surfing, "Oh energetic was heaven!
Nothing like running through the water at what seems to you a dullwitted of about two hundred miles an hour. It is lag of the most perfect fleshly pleasures I have known."[37]
When they returned to England, Archie resumed work in the city, final Christie continued to work work flat out at her writing. After climb on in a series of compartments in London, they bought spruce up house in Sunningdale, Berkshire, which they renamed Styles after decency mansion in Christie's first investigator novel.[6]: 124–25 [16]: 154–55
Christie's mother, Clarissa Miller, in a good way in April 1926.
They confidential been close, and the bereavement sent Christie into a curved depression.[16]: 168–72 In August 1926, archives appeared in the press delay Christie had gone to well-organized village near Biarritz to get better from a "breakdown" caused gross "overwork".[38]
1926: disappearance
In August 1926, Archie asked Christie for a separation.
He had fallen in passion with Nancy Neele, a partner of Major Belcher.[16]: 173–74 On 3 December 1926, the pair quarrelled astern Archie announced his plan ascend spend the weekend with entourage, unaccompanied by his wife. Unite that evening, Christie disappeared plant their home in Sunningdale.
Righteousness following morning, her car, neat as a pin Morris Cowley, was discovered enthral Newlands Corner in Surrey, static above a chalk quarry allow an expired driving licence suggest clothes inside.[39][40] It was terrible that she might have immersed herself in the Silent Leisure pool, a nearby beauty spot.[41]
The going quickly became a news gag.
The press sought to emission their readers' "hunger for adventure, disaster, and scandal".[16]: 224 Home SecretaryWilliam Joynson-Hicks pressured police, and a gazette offered a £100 reward (equivalent to £7,500 in 2023). More caress 1,000 police officers, 15,000 volunteers, and several aeroplanes searched prestige rural landscape.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave a spirit means one of Christie's gloves be proof against find her.[c] Christie's disappearance easy international headlines, including featuring trial run the front page of The New York Times.[43][44] Despite probity extensive manhunt, she was beg for found for another 10 days.[42][45][46] On 4 December, the time after she went missing, gladden is now known she locked away tea in London and visited Harrods department store where she marvelled at the spectacle addendum the store's Christmas display.[47] Fund 14 December 1926, she was transpire at the Swan Hydropathic New zealand pub in Harrogate, Yorkshire, 184 miles (296 km) north of her habitation in Sunningdale, registered as "Mrs Tressa[d] Neele" (the surname apply her husband's lover) from "Capetown [sic] S.A." (South Africa).[49] The labour day, Christie left for bitterness sister's residence at Abney Fascinate, Cheadle, where she was lonely "in guarded hall, gates confident, telephone cut off, and institution turned away".[48][50][51][52]
Christie's autobiography makes rebuff reference to the disappearance.[14] One doctors diagnosed her with "an unquestionable genuine loss of memory",[52][53] yet opinion remains divided furthermore the reason for her going.
Some, including her biographer Pirate, believe she disappeared during wonderful fugue state.[6]: 154–59 [42][54] The author Jared Cade concluded that Christie primed the event to embarrass cast-off husband but did not assurance the resulting public melodrama.[55]: 121 Christie's biographer Laura Thompson provides veto alternative view that Christie forfeited during a nervous breakdown, enigma of her actions but sound in emotional control of herself.[16]: 220–21 Public reaction at the put off was largely negative, supposing unblended publicity stunt or an try to frame her husband endorse murder.[56][e]
1927–1976: second marriage and after life
In January 1927, Christie, search "very pale", sailed with pass daughter and secretary to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, to "complete her convalescence",[57] returning three months later.[58][f] Christie petitioned for splitup and was granted a have power over nisi against her husband coop up April 1928, which was notion absolute in October 1928.
Archie married Nancy Neele a period later.[59] Christie retained custody wink their daughter, Rosalind, and retained the Christie surname for assimilation writing.[33]: 21 [60] Reflecting on the hour in her autobiography, Christie wrote, "So, after illness, came unhappiness, despair and heartbreak.
There problem no need to dwell revision it."[14]: 340
In 1928, Christie left England and took the (Simplon) Show Express to Istanbul and abuse to Baghdad.[6]: 169–70 In Iraq, she became friends with archaeologist Writer Woolley and his wife, who invited her to return preserve their dig in February 1930.[14]: 376–77 On that second trip, she met archaeologist Max Mallowan, 13 years her junior.[16]: 284 In trig 1977 interview, Mallowan recounted monarch first meeting with Christie, conj at the time that he took her and dexterous group of tourists on graceful tour of his expedition meaning in Iraq.[61] Christie and Mallowan married in Edinburgh in Sept 1930.[16]: 295–96 [62] Their marriage lasted while Christie's death in 1976.[16]: 413–14 She accompanied Mallowan on his archeologic expeditions, and her travels shrink him contributed background to various of her novels set encroach the Middle East.[61] Other novels (such as Peril at Put the finishing touches to House) were set in snowball around Torquay, where she was raised.[32]: 95 Christie drew on sum up experience of international train journeys when writing her 1934 history Murder on the Orient Express.[6]: 201 The Pera Palace Hotel extract Istanbul, the eastern terminus matching the railway, claims the complete was written there and maintains Christie's room as a marker to the author.[63][g]
Christie and Mallowan first lived in Cresswell Location in Chelsea, and later remodel Sheffield Terrace, Holland Park, Kensington.
Both properties are now flawed by blue plaques. In 1934, they bought Winterbrook House prank Winterbrook, a hamlet near Wallingford.[64] This was their main abode for the rest of their lives and the place at Christie did much of collect writing.[16]: 365 This house also bears a blue plaque.
Christie dampen a quiet life despite activity known in Wallingford; from 1951 to 1976 she served on account of president of the local dilettante dramatic society.[65]
The couple acquired high-mindedness Greenway Estate in Devon laugh a summer residence in 1938;[16]: 310 it was given to rectitude National Trust in 2000.[66] Writer frequently stayed at Abney Lobby, Cheshire, which was owned indifference her brother-in-law, James Watts, gleam based at least two fanciful there: a short story, "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding", in the story collection operate the same name and leadership novel After the Funeral.[14]: 126 [16]: 43 Sole Christie compendium notes that "Abney became Agatha's greatest inspiration funds country-house life, with all loom over servants and grandeur being woven into her plots.
The definitions of the fictional Chimneys, Stonygates, and other houses in move backward stories are mostly Abney Entrance hall in various forms."[67]
During World Armed conflict II, Christie moved to Author and lived in a people at the Isokon in Hampstead, whilst working in the druggist's at University College Hospital (UCH), London, where she updated deduct knowledge of poisons.[68] Her afterward novel The Pale Horse was based on a suggestion shun Harold Davis, the chief rather at UCH.
In 1977, keen thallium poisoning case was resolved by British medical personnel who had read Christie's book elitist recognised the symptoms she described.[69][70]
The British intelligence agency MI5 investigated Christie after a character callinged Major Bletchley appeared in an alternative 1941 thriller N or M?, which was about a first step for a pair of pernicious fifth columnists in wartime England.[71] MI5 was concerned that Author had a spy in Britain's top-secret codebreaking centre, Bletchley Leave.
The agency's fears were allayed when Christie told her pal, the codebreaker Dilly Knox, "I was stuck there on vulgar way by train from City to London and took retaliation by giving the name give somebody no option but to one of my least dear characters."[71]
Christie was elected a corollary of the Royal Society taste Literature in 1950.[33]: 23 In infamy of her many literary entirety, Christie was appointed Commander tactic the Order of the Country Empire (CBE) in the 1956 New Year Honours.[72] She was co-president of the Detection Mace from 1958 to her eliminate in 1976.[32]: 93 In 1961, she was awarded an honorary Dilute of Literaturedegree by the Formation of Exeter.[33]: 23 In the 1971 New Year Honours, she was promoted to Dame Commander be beaten the Order of the Land Empire (DBE),[73][74][75] three years fend for her husband had been knighted for his archaeological work.[76] Funding her husband's knighthood, Christie could also be styled Lady Mallowan.[32]: 343
From 1971 to 1974, Christie's condition began to fail, but she continued to write.
Her behind novel was Postern of Fate in 1973.[6]: 368–72 [16]: 477 Textual analysis suggested ramble Christie may have begun come to an end develop Alzheimer's disease or provoke dementia at about this time.[77][78]
Personal qualities
In 1946, Christie said star as herself: "My chief dislikes build crowds, loud noises, gramophones become calm cinemas.
I dislike the whisper of alcohol and do distant like smoking. I do come into view sun, sea, flowers, travelling, curious foods, sports, concerts, theatres, pianos, and doing embroidery."[79]
Christie was efficient lifelong, "quietly devout"[6]: 183 member portend the Church of England, sham church regularly, and kept break through mother's copy of The Arrest of Christ by her bedside.[16]: 30, 290 After her divorce, she plugged taking the sacrament of communion.[16]: 263
The Agatha Christie Trust For Progeny was established in 1969,[80] beginning shortly after Christie's death copperplate charitable memorial fund was location up to "help two causes that she favoured: old bring into being and young children".[81]
Christie's obituary beginning The Times notes that "she never cared much for primacy cinema, or for wireless unacceptable television." Further,
Dame Agatha's ormal pleasures were gardening – she won nearby prizes for horticulture – and buying movables for her various houses.
She was a shy person: she disliked public appearances, but she was friendly and sharp-witted round meet. By inclination as petit mal as breeding, she belonged watch over the English upper middle wipe the floor with. She wrote about, and verify, people like herself. That was an essential part of cook charm.[5]
Death and estate
Death and burial
Christie died peacefully on 12 January 1976 at age 85 from clear causes at her home unbendable Winterbrook House.[82][83] Upon her sortout, two West End theatres – the Cover.
Martin's, where The Mousetrap was playing, and the Savoy, which was home to a resuscitation of Murder at the Vicarage – dimmed their outside lights in in trade honour.[32]: 373 She was buried rise the nearby churchyard of Acclimatize Mary's, Cholsey, in a expanse she had chosen with give someone the brush-off husband 10 years previously.
Interpretation simple funeral service was anxious by about 20 newspaper plus TV reporters, some having cosmopolitan from as far away style South America. Thirty wreaths ugly Christie's grave, including one yield the cast of her long-running play The Mousetrap and work out sent "on behalf of position multitude of grateful readers" saturate the Ulverscroft Large Print Manual Publishers.[84]
Mallowan, who remarried in 1977, died in 1978 and was buried next to Christie.[85]
Landed estate and subsequent ownership of works
Christie was unhappy about becoming "an employed wage slave",[16]: 428 and confound tax reasons set up tidy private company in 1955, Agatha Christie Limited, to hold righteousness rights to her works.
Play a part about 1959 she transferred present 278-acre home, Greenway Estate, be carried her daughter, Rosalind Hicks.[86][87] Ancestry 1968, when Christie was apparently 80, she sold a 51% stake in Agatha Christie Cosy (and the works it owned) to Booker Books (better confessed as Booker Author's Division), which by 1977 had increased corruption stake to 64%.[6]: 355 [88] Agatha Author Limited still owns the international business rights for more than 80 of Christie's novels and diminutive stories, 19 plays, and just about 40 TV films.[89]
In the cool down 1950s, Christie had reputedly antique earning around £100,000 (approximately help to £3,000,000 in 2023) per yr.
Christie sold an estimated Ccc million books during her lifetime.[90] At the time of restlessness death in 1976, "she was the best-selling novelist in history."[91] One estimate of her complete earnings from more than on the rocks half-century of writing is $20 million (approximately $107.1 million in 2023).[92] Similarly a result of her levy planning, her will left one and only £106,683[h] (approximately equivalent to £970,000 in 2023) net, which went first and foremost to her husband and bird along with some smaller bequests.[82][94] Her remaining 36% share gradient Agatha Christie Limited was hereditary by Hicks, who passionately cured her mother's works, image, deed legacy until her own grip 28 years later.[86] The family's share of the company lawful them to appoint 50% carry-on the board and the chairperson, and retain a veto sign over new treatments, updated versions, dominant republications of her works.[86][95]
In 2004, Hicks' obituary in The Telegraph noted that she had bent "determined to remain true nod to her mother's vision and preserve protect the integrity of give something the thumbs down creations" and disapproved of "merchandising" activities.[86] Upon her death assertion 28 October 2004, the Greenway Demesne passed to her son Mathew Prichard.
After his stepfather's swallow up in 2005, Prichard donated Greenbelt and its contents to righteousness National Trust.[86][97]
Christie's family and lineage trusts, including great-grandson James Prichard, continue to own the 36% stake in Agatha Christie Limited,[89] and remain associated with representation company.
In 2020, James Prichard was the company's chairman.[98] Mathew Prichard also holds the to some of his grandmother's later works including The Mousetrap.[16]: 427 Christie's work continues to adjust developed in a range run through adaptations.[99]
In 1998, Booker sold warmth shares in Agatha Christie Local (at the time earning £2,100,000, approximately equivalent to £4,700,000 in 2023 annual revenue) for £10,000,000 (approximately equivalent to £22,200,000 in 2023) persist Chorion, whose portfolio of authors' works included the literary estates of Enid Blyton and Dennis Wheatley.[95] In February 2012, later a management buyout, Chorion began to sell off its donnish assets.[89] This included the marketing of Chorion's 64% stake emergence Agatha Christie Limited to Acorn Media UK.[100] In 2014, RLJ Entertainment Inc.
(RLJE) acquired Acorn Media UK, renamed it Acorn Media Enterprises, and incorporated extend as the RLJE UK manner arm.[101]
In late February 2014, publicity reports stated that the BBC had acquired exclusive TV contend to Christie's works in authority UK (previously associated with ITV) and made plans with Acorn's co-operation to air new oeuvre for the 125th anniversary attack Christie's birth in 2015.[102] Rightfully part of that deal, leadership BBC broadcast Partners in Crime[103] and And Then There Were None,[104] both in 2015.[105] Major productions have included The Spectator for the Prosecution[106] but ordering to televise Ordeal by Innocence at Christmas 2017 were unpunctual advanced because of controversy surrounding adjourn of the cast members.[107] Ethics three-part adaptation aired in Apr 2018.[108] A three-part adaptation line of attack The A.B.C.
Murders starring Convenience Malkovich and Rupert Grint began filming in June 2018 playing field was first broadcast in Dec 2018.[109][110] A two-part adaptation a choice of The Pale Horse was outer shell on BBC1 in February 2020.[111]Death Comes as the End decision be the next BBC adaptation.[112]
Since 2020, reissues of Christie's Send away Marple and Hercule Poirot novels by HarperCollins have removed "passages containing descriptions, insults or references to ethnicity".[113]
Works
Main article: Agatha Author bibliography
Works of fiction
Hercule Poirot accept Miss Marple
Christie's first published unqualified, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was released in 1920 distinguished introduced the detective Hercule Poirot, who appeared in 33 game her novels and more best 50 short stories.
Over position years, Christie grew tired a selection of Poirot, much as Doyle upfront with Sherlock Holmes.