KEY POINTS:
Settings, language, plots - and mass translation - keep Agatha Christie's books alive.
So, just how popular are Christie's books?
The Guinness Book of Records says that, alongside Shakespeare, Christie is the best-selling author of all time. If you disregard holy texts such as the Bible and the Koran there are probably more books in the world today by Christie than by any other author. In all, she is thought to have sold between two and four billion books worldwide, and every year a further five million novels are bought.
Who is now buying Christie's books?
People all over the world. Part of the reason Christie sells so well is that her works have been translated into a great many languages, giving all nations unprecedented access to the 127 books and 15 plays she churned out between 1920 and 1976. Unesco last year named her the most translated author in the world.
How successful were her plays?
Again, Christie is something of a record-breaker when it comes to her stage work. The Mousetrap, a murder mystery play which was inspired by the real-life death of a boy in foster care, has had the longest initial run of any play in the world. It opened in 1952 at the New Ambassadors Theatre and when that closed in 1974, it immediately transferred to St Martin's Theatre next door, thereby keeping its initial run status. A wooden counting board in the theatre's foyer is used to keep track of every performance.
What is it about Christie that makes her work so popular?
According to Barry Forshaw, the editor of British Crime Writing; An Encyclopedia, it is the simple language, meticulous plots and the evocative settings of a bygone era. "The first thing that makes Christie so accessible is the way she writes," he says. "She keeps the language fairly straightforward and simple but the plots are constructed incredibly well, like a finely-tuned machine. She writes about an England that people nurture in their minds even if it never really existed and that is something that appeals to both British readers and worldwide fans."
What did Christie think about her own work?
Considering she was dubbed the "Queen of Crime" and achieved worldwide fame at an early stage in her writing career, Christie spoke of her own work in remarkably self-deprecating terms. Her detractors have often criticised her for lacking substance - PD James once famously blasted her for her "cardboard cut-out" characters. But Christie described herself as an entertainer, not a literary giant. She was also unaffectionate towards one of her most famous creations, the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot who, by the 1960s, she felt had become "insufferable" and "an egocentric creep".
How was she able to write so many bestsellers?
When asked what her method was for churning out such readable books at such a rate, Christie once replied: "The disappointing truth is I haven't much method."
Who now makes the money from her sales?
Exact figures are difficult to come by, but royalties from book sales alone are thought to be worth at least $14 million a year. The company that benefits the most is Chorion, which paid $27.8 million for a controlling share of the rights to Christie's work back in 1998.
What about television rights?
Films and television series based on Christie's works have played just as pivotal a role as her books in introducing successive generations to her gripping whodunnits. The portrayals of Poirot by Peter Ustinov and David Suchet, for instance, have become just as recognisable as the books themselves.
Are there any new films in production?
Most certainly. Last year Chorion agreed a deal with ITV to make eight Christie films, including an adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express. The contract calls for four Miss Marple films, starring Julia McKenzie, and four Poirot films, with David Suchet. The films are due to be broadcast within 18 months.
- INDEPENDENT
