Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery at the British Library

About the exhibition

From crossing continents by train to navigating archaeological digs, explore how Christie’s adventures sparked unforgettable stories, ideas and characters including Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

Step into atmospheric spaces inspired by Christie’s world, from a country house and WWI dispensary to an Orient Express-style carriage and West End theatre. Christie fans and aspiring sleuths can hunt for hidden clues and Easter eggs dotted throughout the exhibition.

Drawing on letters, notebooks, photographs, personal belongings, early manuscript drafts and many objects on display for the first time, this landmark exhibition reveals the remarkable life of one of the world’s greatest crime writers.

Items on display will include: 

• Christie’s Remington typewriter from 1937, purported to have been used to compose And Then There Were None and other works 

• Christie’s notes for the Witness for the Prosecution theatre adaptation 

• the typescript of House of Beauty, Agatha Christie’s first short story written when she was just a teenager 

• Christie’s study notes for her pharmaceutical exam taken in 1917 

• family photographs of Christie in Egypt, Hawaii and Southern Africa  

• personal letters from Christie to family members, including one to her second husband about her journey on the Orient Express.  

Supported by Great Western Railway.

In collaboration with Agatha Christie Limited and The Christie Archive Trust.