About Christie: The Writer's Writer
What can writers learn from Agatha Christie? She pioneered the crime novel genre and generated a prodigious body of work, but Christie's influence on writers of all kinds has expanded well beyond the confines of her genre.
Drawing from classic Golden Age narratives, through subversive portraits of British life, via clues, comedy, trickery and problem-solving, our speakers pry, spy and investigate the serious business of being a writer, alongside the serious business of murder...
This lively discussion tangles with the myriad ways in which writers and thinkers from across the creative spectrum have responded to the writing of Agatha Christie.
Supported by Great Western Railway.
Our exhibition, Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery, is in collaboration with Agatha Christie Limited and The Christie Archive Trust.
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Jan Carson
Jan Carson is the Belfast based author of four novels, three short story collections and three micro-fiction collections.
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Her novel The Fire Starters won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland, 2019. The Raptures was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year. Jan was the Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast in 2025, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has achieved the rank of Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. Her latest novel, Few and Far Between was published by Doubleday UK and Scribner in the US.
Bobby Seagull
Bobby Seagull is a teacher, broadcaster, and writer.
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He writes for the Financial Times and has published two books: Monkman and Seagull Quiz Book and The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers. In 2025, Bobby received an MBE in recognition for his services to public libraries. In 2016 Bobby captained his team on University Challenge, where he met his future broadcasting partner Eric Monkman, they co-host Monkman and Seagull’s Genius Guides and Monkman and Seagull’s Genius Adventures.
Shrabani Basu
Shrabani Basu is a Sunday Times best-selling author and journalist.
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She writes about the hidden stories from history. Her books include the critically acclaimed The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer, For King and Another Country, Victoria & Abdul (now a major Oscar-nominated motion picture starring Dame Judi Dench), Spy Princess and Curry: The Story of the Nation’s Favourite Dish. Shrabani is the chair of the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust which campaigned for a memorial for the World War II heroine, and she is a frequent commentator on BBC, ITV and Channel 4 on Indian history and Empire.
Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Vine is a journalist and broadcaster who reaches an audience of millions per week.
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He hosts a daily breakfast show on Channel 5 and a peak lunchtime slot on BBC Radio 2, presenting news, views, interviews and popular guests on Britain’s most listened-to radio news programme. He has previously hosted Eggheads and presents the general election infographics. In his spare time, he rides a penny farthing. He is an ardent Agatha Christie fan, and recently published Murder on Line One, and Turn the Dial for Death (HarperCollins).
Venue and bar opening times
This event will take place in the British Library Knowledge Centre and is also available to watch online. Tickets may be booked to attend in person, or to watch online.
If you are attending in person, please note that the Knowledge Centre and the bar will be open in advance of your event.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
Attending the event online
If you book an online ticket, you will receive the viewing link on the morning of the event. You can either watch the event live or during the next 14 days on catch up.
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, Young Persons (16 – 25s), and visitors on Universal/Pension Credit and free entry for carers.
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