Agatha Christie historian and speaker
At the brilliant Agatha Christie Spring Gathering in Torquay this year, Gray and I shared a secret we’ve been keeping for a while… We’ve written a Swinging Christies book!
The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s will be published by HarperCollins in February next year. You can preorder it at Amazon UK already (international details to follow), or any independent retailer of your choice! It’s all new material – come and live a decade with Agatha Christie…
Christie Time – aka Gray Robert Brown and me – have just launched our newest project… Westmapod! This limited run podcast covers Agatha Christie’s non-crime novels written under the Mary Westmacott. We have lots to discuss! The introduction episode is out now, with a new ep every two weeks. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
I can’t wait to return to the International Agatha Christie Festival in September 2026. This year, my talk looks at some of the lesser-known film and TV adaptations of Christie’s work from the last century (almost!). It’s at 4pm on Wednesday 16 September, and you can book tickets here.
Gray and I will also be recording a new episode of The Swinging Christies with a live audience – The Pale Caribbean Mirror Crack’d, all about adaptations of these Swinging titles from the 1980s and 1990s. Last year’s live event was a hoot, and I’m sure this’ll be just as fun! Tickets available here, the event takes place on Friday 18 September.
Gray also has his own talk this year, a fascinating discussion of the mysterious case of Roger Styles… Tickets available here.
I’m excited to say that I have been invited to speak to the passengers on Golden Eagle‘s luxury train service the Danube Express. I’ll be joining the journey for its entirety, starting at Paris and finishing at Istanbul – the same route that Agatha travelled on the Orient Express. You can read more about the Danube Express journey here – as you can see, it’s very much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most passengers. I can’t wait!
I’m proud to be speaking at this event raising money for Dame Hannahs, which provides care and support for adults with profound disabilities and complex medical needs. If you’re local to Plymouth then come along!
Happy new year! Just a quick update to say that I recently appeared on the Studio Canal podcast to discuss the four Agatha Christie films recently released on 4K disc. Very good they look too! I also took part in Southampton Solent University’s Explained podcast.
On TV I appeared on NBC’s Today programme discussing Christie at Christmas on Burgh Island.
And while I’m discussing podcasts, make sure you’re continuing to listen to the Swinging Christies podcast, which I do with Gray Robert Brown. Expect an announcement or two in the next few months…
I’ve finally got around to putting some of my media appearances on YouTube. If you’re so inclined you can see me chat with Sir David Suchet, Lucy Worsley, Alan Carr, Anita Rani and Alan Titchmarsh!
Gray and I are really pleased to be returning to the International Agatha Christie Festival’s Spring Gathering event in Torquay on 11 April 2026, presenting a new live episode of The Swinging Christies. Tickets are limited and bound to sell out again so grab one now!
Very excited to say that HarperCollins’ event A Christie for Christmas is returning for its second year, and I’ll be a part of it again. This time I’m chairing a panel with Ben Miller and Chris Chibnall about murder mysteries on page and screen. Elsewhere there are more great guests including Poirot and Marple continuation writers Sophie Hannah and Lucy Foley. Tickets sold out even before I could post about it, but keep an eye out for more events coming soon 👀
Our first video episode of The Swinging Christies is now available – recorded LIVE in front of a sold-out crowd at the International Agatha Christie Festival, filmed and edited by the brilliant Emberlense Productions! Video available on YouTube and supported podcast apps, including Spotify (audio only elsewhere).
Dr Mark Aldridge 