A few updates…

What a busy few months it has been! I’ve been busy working on some new projects, one of which should be announced in a month or two, while some others have now come to fruition.

It’s great to see that Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet has now launched on Britbox US and Canada. I was consultant for the series, and pop up in the first episode wishing David luck with his voyage, and showing him some press cuttings. It’s a fascinating series that shows how the world has changed since Agatha and Archie’s 1922 ‘Grand Tour’. It’ll be on Channel 4 in the UK later this year, and I believe it has been picked up by an Australian broadcaster too.

Also, I’ve recently given a few talks to kind and generous audiences, including at Hampshire WI’s annual meeting, where I think I converted a few members into Christie readers!

The Swinging Christies podcast, which I produce and present with Gray Robert Brown, has gone from strength to strength, with some great bonus episodes (even if I do say so myself!) covering everything from Muriel Spark to the new Miss Marple stories. You can catch us on any major podcast app. We will also be speaking at the celebrations surrounding the unveiling of the new Agatha Christie statue in Torquay on 12 April, and at the time of writing there are still a few tickets left for what promises to be a memorable day.

I’m also pleased to see the publication of the book Reassessing Murder, She Wrote, edited by Eva Burke and Jennifer Schnabel. I contribute a chapter exploring the influence of Agatha Christie on the show (of course!).

There is, of course, much more to come – tomorrow sees the schedule announced for the 2025 International Agatha Christie Festival, and you can be sure I’ll be there! More about that very soon…

Finally, a quick word about social media. I’m no longer on X/Twitter, but you can still find me on Instagram and Bluesky.

Christmas on Burgh Island!

I’m very excited about a special treat for the end of this year – I’ll be visiting the glorious Burgh Island to talk about Agatha Christie at Christmas on the afternoon of 10 December. What could be a better treat for the festive season?!

Burgh Island, Devon

For those who don’t know, Burgh Island has many Christie connections, from influencing the likes of Evil Under the Sun and And Then There Were None, to as a filming location for adaptations in the Joan Hickson Miss Marple and David Suchet Poirot series.

You can book a special stay for the event on the Burgh Island Hotel’s website, or call/email them to book my talk and afternoon tea if you’re not able to stay (details at the link). I have a long history with the island but this will be the first time I’m actually staying at the hotel, and I can’t wait!

Book launch – and publicity!

It’s been a busy couple of months with the launch of my new book Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness, now out worldwide. The UK publication neatly coincided with the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, which meant there were plenty of opportunities to discuss my work. This included sell-out talks on both Miss Marple and, with Gray Robert Brown, our podcast The Swinging Christies. We even teamed up with Kemper Donovan of All About Agatha for a special crossover episode!

Kemper Donovan, me, Gray Robert Brown

Elsewhere, I’ve been doing plenty of publicity, including an appearance on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, which you can watch below. We were keenly overlooked by quite the collection of Miss Marples!

It had been lovely to see the positive reception that my book has received. I was particularly thrilled to get such a good write-up from Nicola Upson in the Times Literary Supplement.

I have plenty of plans in place for next year, including two projects that I was the consultant for. I’m very excited about them, but can’t say much more yet! All will be revealed in the next couple of months…

The International Agatha Christie Festival 2024

The (almost) full details for the International Agatha Christie Festival 2024 have now been announced, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be speaking about the search for the “definitive” Miss Marple in the evening of 13 September at 7pm. I’ll be discussing Joan Hickson’s Miss Marple and other depictions (including Helen Hayes) sharing new information and some nice clips and illustrations. This is as well as the Swinging Christies event with Gray Robert Brown on the Wednesday. I’m also taking part in the All About Agatha panel on the Thursday evening (debating the best screen adaptation).

There is more to be announced, and I may pop up at another event… It’s sure to be a great week, so do join us in Torquay! Details here.

The Swinging Christies – LIVE at the International Agatha Christie Festival 2024!

It has only been just over a month since we launched The Swinging Christies, but we have already been invited to give our first live talk! In September, Gray and I will be in Torquay ready to share some material that we couldn’t fit into the podcast.

Tickets are on sale now – hope to see you there! The main Festival events haven’t yet been announced but I have had a sneak preview of some of the highlights and know it’ll be great year. You might even see me popping up elsewhere…

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