Agatha Christie

Legacy: the Artists Behind the Legends

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, who also bore the name Lady Mallowan, was by no means your average 20th century female writer. Dabbling in various literary forms including novels, short stories, as well as the stage, Agatha Christie became known as the “Queen of Crime” for her detective fiction once her writing career took off in the 1920s. She served in both World Wars, traveled extensively throughout the world, and was even widely known as the first female Brit to stand up on a surfboard whilst on a ‘round the world trip that ventured through Hawaii. On top of that, she had a profound interest in archaeological digs and studies, and at one time was even investigated by the MI5 (aka the British espionage circuit for the government). But what’s more interesting about Christie lies beneath her success and popularity in the literary world, because beneath those accomplishments was a woman with more depth (and some pretty strange quirks) than her critics gave her credit for. Just who was Agatha Christie? Let’s find out together.