About Hercule Poirot and Friends
In 1975 the New York Times ran the following front page: 'Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective who became internationally famous, has died in England. His age was unknown'. This news story announced, for the only time in history, the death of a fictional character.
The article continued: 'The news of his death, given by Dame Agatha, was not unexpected. Word that he was near death reached here last May'. Christie herself is known to have become annoyed by him, but audiences around the world have never grown tired of the egg-shaped detective.
Further proof that the appetite remains undimmed is the BBC’s upcoming creation of a new Poirot series, featuring a younger Hercule. But tonight it’s back to the original, as for one night only at the British Library all 5 foot 4 inches of the impeccably dressed and fastidious little man will be brought back to life.
Bring your little grey cells, and do not miss an evening of Poirot and friends!
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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Sophie Hannah
Sophie Hannah is a Sunday Times, New York Times and Amazon Kindle UK No. 1 bestselling writer of crime fiction.
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Sophie's work has been published in forty-nine languages and fifty-one territories. She writes contemporary psychological thrillers and, at the request of Agatha Christie’s family and estate, the new series of Hercule Poirot novels. Sophie’s murder mystery musical, The Mystery of Mr E, was released as a feature film in 2023, directed by Martyn Tott. In 2023, Sophie won the Crime Writers Association’s Dagger in the Library Award for her body of work.
Dr John Curran
Dr John Curran acted as consultant to the National Trust during the renovation of Agatha Christie's holiday home, Greenway.
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His Edgar-nominated Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks (2009) won the 2011 Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Awards and he published Agatha Christie’s Murder in the Making, also nominated for the same awards, in September 2011. In 2019 he published The Hooded Gunman, the official history of Collins Crime Club and last year The Murder Game: Play, Puzzles and the Golden Age.
Dr Mark Aldridge
Dr Mark Aldridge is an author, speaker and historian, specialising in the work of Agatha Christie.
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He has published three books on Christie, with the most recent, Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness (HarperCollins, 2024), winning Crimefest's H.R.F. Keating Award for best critical or biographical work. He is also the co-producer and co-presenter of the podcast The Swinging Christies and Associate Professor of Screen Histories at Southampton Solent University.
Jo Miles
Jo Miles is Emerita Fellow in Law at Trinity College Cambridge.
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Previously Jo Miles was Professor in Family Law & Policy at the University of Cambridge before becoming a professional gardener and accidental legal scholar of Agatha Christie. As one half of the project Legally Agatha, together with Professor Rebecca Probert, University of Exeter, she has co-authored the chapter on Agatha Christie & the Law in the British Library’s book accompanying the Christie exhibition. You can find out more on Instagram @legallyagatha.
Venue and bar opening times
This is an in-person only event in the British Library Knowledge Centre.
The Knowledge Centre and bar open from 18.00.
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
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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