British Library announces major exhibition on writer Agatha Christie

• Opening on 30 October 2026 and marking 50 years since her death, this major exhibition will explore the work of celebrated crime writer, Agatha Christie
• This blockbuster exhibition will go behind the books to explore how Christie’s life, travels and interests informed her work and the creation of her iconic characters
• Through personal objects belonging to Christie, many of which have never been displayed before, visitors will gain unprecedented insight into her writing process and explore her impact on crime fiction
• Accompanying the exhibition will be displays and events celebrating Christie’s influence on literature at libraries across the UK.

Today, on Agatha Christie’s birthday, the British Library has announced that next year it will open a major exhibition exploring the legacy of the bestselling novelist of all time.

Marking 50 years since her death, the exhibition will examine not only the origins of iconic fictional creations like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, but will also go behind the characters and stories to explore Christie's life, her travels, and her wide-ranging interests including archaeology and pharmacology.

Next year also marks 100 years since the publication of seminal mystery The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Christie’s third Poirot novel, and 50 years since the publication of Sleeping Murder, Miss Marple’s ‘last’ case. The exhibition will offer visitors the chance to gain a deeper understanding of how Christie crafted her genre-defining stories. Throughout the display of her notebooks, personal letters and early manuscript drafts, visitors will also have the chance to listen to Christie’s own voice through her dictaphone recordings and to view personal objects belonging to Christie, many of which provided direct inspiration for her stories and have never been on public display before.

And finally, the exhibition will explore how Christie influenced crime writing, her experiences adapting her work for the stage and the impact her stories continue to have, as they are freshly interpreted for today’s global audience.

Developed with support from Agatha Christie Limited and The Christie Archive Trust.

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
• 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 throughout her life, including her travels 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.

Accompanying the exhibition will be Living Knowledge Network displays and crime fiction events at public libraries around the UK.

The exhibition will form a major part of Agatha Christie Limited’s anniversary programme in 2026, with celebrations of Agatha Christie’s legacy and ongoing impact on the genre throughout the year.

Jamie Andrews, Director of Public Engagement at the British Library, said: ‘Next year marks 50 years since the death of Agatha Christie, the most famous crime writer of all time and we’re honoured to be working with The Christie Archive Trust and Agatha Christie Limited on this very special exhibition to mark her legacy. This will be the biggest exhibition held in the UK in the last 20 years to celebrate Christie’s writing and will feature items from our own collection, lenders and the Trust, including material never displayed before. The exhibition will take visitors back to Christie’s childhood and explore her journey to becoming an iconic writer, while celebrating how adaptions of her novels for stage and screen continue to enthral audiences today.’

James Prichard, CEO and Chairman of Agatha Christie Limited and Agatha Christie’s great-grandson, said: ‘We are delighted to be partnering with the British Library for this major exhibition dedicated to my great grandmother’s extraordinary life and works. My father, Mathew, has carefully selected a wide range of items from the Christie Archive which offer remarkable insights into Agatha Christie from both a professional, and personal perspective, and that are sure to fascinate visitors. It feels fitting to do this to help mark the 50th anniversary of her death; this combines an opportunity for quiet reflection, but also an opportunity to celebrate the immense achievements of her life. Hers was truly one of the most remarkable lives of the 20th century.’

ENDS

Notes to Editor

The exhibition will run from 30 October 2026 – 20 June 2027. For further information or to request images please contact the Press Office at: press@bl.uk.

More information on tickets will be made available on the British Library’s website: bl.uk/agathachristie

For more information on Living Knowledge Network events, please see the LibraryOn website: https://libraryon.org/events

About the British Library

We are the national library of the UK and we are here for everyone. Our shelves hold over 170 million items – a living collection that gets bigger every day. Although our roots extend back centuries, we aim to collect everything published in the UK today, tomorrow and far into the future. Our trusted experts care for this collection and open it up for everyone to spark new discoveries, ideas and to help people do incredible things.

We have millions of books, and much more besides. Our London and Yorkshire sites hold collections ranging from newspapers and maps to sound recordings, patents, academic journals, as well as a copy of every UK domain website and blog. Our public spaces provide a place to research, to meet friends, to start up a new business or simply to get inspired by visiting our galleries and events. We work with partners and libraries across the UK and the world to make sure that as many people as possible have the chance to use and explore our collections, events and expertise. And we're always open online, along with more and more of our digitised collection.

See: www.bl.uk

About Agatha Christie Limited

Agatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to Agatha Christie's works around the world since 1955. Collaborating with the very best talents in film, television, publishing, stage and on digital platforms, ACL ensures that Christie’s work continues to reach new audiences in innovative ways and to the highest standard. The company is managed by Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard.

About The Christie Archive Trust

The Christie Archive Trust is a registered charity which manages and preserves the personal photographs, letters and other family possessions that belonged to Agatha Christie. Created by her daughter, Rosalind Hicks, in 2004, C.A.T. aims to educate the public about Agatha Christie's life, works and legacy by making its contents accessible; assisting relevant projects and exhibitions in the UK and abroad.

About Agatha Christie

Born in Torquay, England in 1890, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. With over one billion books sold in English and another billion in over 100 languages, she is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She wrote 80 crime novels and collections of short stories, over 25 plays (including The Mousetrap, the world’s longest running play), and six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introduced the world to the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, followed a decade later by the shrewd and often-underestimated Miss Marple.

Agatha Christie was made a Dame (DBE) in 1971 and died peacefully in 1976 at the age of 85.