Born on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, United Kingdom, Agatha Christie grew up to become an important contributor to the literary world. Her works are widely recognized.
Agatha is known as the Queen of Crime because of her excellent crime fiction and mystery thriller books, which the audience loves and appreciates.
She was the best-selling author of all time and wrote over 60 books throughout her long and prolific career.
Hi! This is Priyanka from Hooked to Books, and today I will talk about the author I love and adore, the famous Agatha Christie.
Her detective books are favorites of many, including me! She is an incredible writer who experienced life fully. I will list 7 interesting facts about Agatha Christie below; check it out if you are curious to learn more about her.
7 Interesting Facts About Agatha Christie
You all know when Agatha was born, what books she wrote, where she went to study, etc. But it’s also fun to learn about the lesser-known or not frequently talked about facts of an author, right?
I have listed 7 interesting facts about Agatha. Have a look!
1. She wrote her Debut Novel Because of a Bet
Agatha wrote her very first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, due to a bet with her sister, Madge. According to Madge, Agatha couldn’t write a good detective story. This challenged her to start writing.
Agatha began writing during the First World War, and the book’s character was inspired by the Belgian refugees she encountered. The book’s main protagonist, Hercule Poirot, is one of the most famous characters written by Agatha. The book was published in 1916.
2. Agatha was a part-time Archaeologist
Apart from being a writer and a former nurse, Agatha also worked as a part-time archaeologist. She married her second husband, Max Mallowan, in 1930, who was a renowned archaeologist.
Agatha went on various expeditions with her husband and assisted him on several digs.
Alongside this, she was also continuing her writing work, which led to many of her works elaborating on archaeological and travel aspects, such as Murder On The Orient Express, Murder in Mesopotamia, and Death on the Nile.
3. She gives Strong Competition to Shakespeare when it comes to Popularity
Agatha has gained immense popularity over the years of her writing career. Her books have sold over billions of copies and in many foreign languages.
Works of this widely published author are only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the best-selling author in the world after Shakespeare.
Agatha has created an extraordinary fan following over the years, and her works will always be remembered as one of the best.
4. Christie Mysteriously Disappeared
The popular author Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days straight. This incident happened in December 1926 when she had just vanished, and no one knew her whereabouts.
Later, she was found at a hotel in Harrogate. When asked about the reason, the author gave no explanation for the disappearance and claimed to remember nothing.
Over a thousand police were looking for Agatha, and she made the front pages of newspapers.
5. She used a Secret Pseudonym for 20 years
Only a few people know that Agatha has secretly written books under a different pseudonym for 20 years. The author, famous for writing crime fiction and thriller novels, tried her hands in the romance genre.
She used the pseudonym Mary Westmacott to write books secretly. Agatha wanted to write these books anonymously without any expectations and assumptions of people.
Mary is her middle name, and Westmacott is a distant family name.
6. The Lady wrote the World’s longest-running Play
Agatha Christie also wrote the world’s longest-running play, “Mousetrap.” This is a murder mystery play and is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the longest.
Initially, it began as a radio play called Three Blind Mice. Later, she expanded it to a full-length stage play and renamed it The Mousetrap.
It opened in November 1952 and is still running.
7. She was an Expert on Poisons
Christie elaborated on poisons, their symptoms, and their usage in detail in many of her works. She can be called an expert on poisons.
Agatha’s knowledge about poisons comes from her experience as a nurse during World War I. You’ll be surprised to know one of her descriptions of poisons helped doctors to identify and treat a case in real life.
Wrap-Up
Agatha Christie was a well-known author of the literary universe and is still remembered as one of the best. Her books are still going strong, and readers appreciate them worldwide.
I hope this article on Agatha Christie, The Queen of Crime, was an interesting read for you. The facts I mentioned above about the author were also exciting to learn.
Though she is not with us anymore, readers around the world still cherish her works.
What are your favorite Agatha Christie books? Name a few in the comments below.