British Library Opens Major Agatha Christie Exhibition Marking 50 Years Since Her Death

The British Library's long-awaited Agatha Christie exhibition opened on 30 October 2026, marking 50 years since the death of the author known as the "Queen of Crime." Titled 'Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery,' the show runs until 20 June 2027 and gathers a rich collection of personal artefacts — including Christie's letters, photos, passports, portable typewriter and original handwritten notes, letters and plot points — alongside costumes from screen adaptations and clothes Christie herself wore.

The exhibition takes visitors through immersive recreations, beginning in an English country house setting that focuses on Christie's childhood and early writing. A wartime pharmacy section highlights her knowledge of poisons, acquired during medical training in the Second World War, which fed into several of her novels. The centrepiece is a recreation of the Orient Express — complete with art deco details and a moving snowy vista — evoking the real blizzard that stranded Christie on the train and inspired what many consider her most famous work.

A section called The Dig covers her life in the Middle East with her second husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, giving context to novels including Death on the Nile. The final section explores her theatrical legacy, including the record-breaking Mousetrap, and features rare footage of the famously shy writer giving a speech.

The exhibition also addresses less comfortable aspects of Christie's legacy, including the renaming of the book now known as And Then There Were None and her early portrayals of Jewish people. It demonstrates throughout how her innovations — such as the "closed-circle mystery" and Poirot's "drawing room reveal" — have shaped crime fiction ever since.