Agatha Christie exhibition at the British Library will explore the life behind the world’s bestselling novelist
The British Library will open a major new exhibition on 30 October exploring the life and work of Agatha Christie, marking 50 years since the death of the bestselling novelist of all time. Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery will look beyond famous characters such as Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple to examine the experiences, travels and personal interests that shaped Christie’s extraordinary career.
The British Library has recently explored literary storytelling from several angles, including a major exhibition examining the enduring influence of fairy tales across cultures and generations. Visitors interested in the institution’s wider exhibition programme may also recognise its recent exploration of hidden histories through rare and unusual maps from around the world. The exhibition continues the library’s broader programme of public cultural events, which has also included seasons dedicated to food, literature and social history.
Across five immersive sections, visitors will encounter family photographs, handwritten notebooks, personal correspondence, rare film footage and the tools Christie used throughout her life as a writer. Hidden clues and references will also be scattered throughout the exhibition for dedicated readers to discover.
The exhibition begins with Christie’s childhood and the English country house settings that later became central to many of her novels. Early examples of her writing, photographs from family life at Ashfield and material connected to her development as a young author will show how these formative years influenced books including The Mysterious Affair at Styles and And Then There Were None.
Visitors then move into a section inspired by Christie’s wartime service. During the First World War she volunteered as both a nurse and pharmacy dispenser, developing a detailed knowledge of drugs and poisons that would later become one of the defining features of her crime fiction. Study notes from her pharmaceutical examinations, wartime records and research notebooks are among the items on display.
Travel forms another major theme. An Orient Express-inspired railway carriage explores how journeys abroad influenced Christie’s settings, observations, and characters. Alongside letters and photographs, visitors will see material connected to some of her most famous novels, including Murder on the Orient Express.
The exhibition also examines the years Christie spent supporting archaeological excavations alongside her second husband, Max Mallowan, in Iraq and Syria. Plot notes, personal photographs, cine film footage and the 1937 Remington typewriter used to write And Then There Were None reveal how these experiences informed novels such as Murder in Mesopotamia and They Came to Baghdad.
The final section moves to London’s West End and explores Christie’s achievements as a playwright. Notes for Witness for the Prosecution, material connected to The Mousetrap, the typescript for Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case and the Dictaphone she used in later life all help tell the story of her success beyond the page.
The exhibition also explores the influence Agatha Christie has had on crime fiction through contributions from contemporary writers, broadcasters and notable admirers, reflecting on a legacy that continues to shape the genre today.
Further details about the exhibition are available from the British Library.
Planning a visit to the British Library this autumn? Explore more London exhibitions and cultural events across the capital with EyeOnLondon.
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