Raising a toast to the queen of crime!

(Published on 26 September 2006 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

In the words of Washington Irving - “There is never jealousy where there is not strong regard.” How very true for I found myself besieged with envy as Mathew Prichard, Agatha Christie's only grandchild and Chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd. led the world in paying glorious tributes to his celebrated grandmother, Agatha Christie on her 126th birthday on 15 September.

And in case you are left wondering where I am coming from pretties, let me explain. No, it’s not Agatha Christie whom I envy. I wish I was in Mathew’s shoes. It must be truly wonderful to have a grandmother who could weave intriguing tales. How many of our grandmothers would tuck us into bed and concoct a story about a Belgian private detective based in London called Hercule Poirot who sported a black waxed moustache and wore patent leather shoes? Or conjure up St Mary’s Mead, the fictional village where the shrewd and intelligent Miss Jane Marple lived?

Agatha Christie remains the world’s best-selling fiction author, with more than over two billion books sold. It was claimed that Agatha Christie was outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. I guess that might have changed ever since but Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple continue to remain the most popular detectives. Many of Christie’s novels were released as movies. For her contribution to literature, Agatha Christie was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1971. The magic of her storytelling continues to reach a contemporary audience and she continues to be recognised as the undisputed 'Queen of Crime'. The Agatha Christie Theatre Company was launched with an immensely successful production of ‘The Hollow.’ This classic mystery was also innovatively adapted into the first ever Agatha Christie story to be a PC game. Kevin Elyot's stage adaptation of ‘And Then There Were None’ opened in the West End to outstanding reviews.

A truly grand old Dame who touched so many lives with her timeless stories of murder and deceit, Agatha Christie was a true woman of substance. One of her quotes, that’s a favourite of mine is - “The best time to plan a book is while you're doing the dishes.”

And to my dearest grandma – I love you a lot – but I wish you had been a little more creative and imaginative with your bed-time stories! The only consolation is that like Miss Marple you like gardening and are often seen carrying knitting needles and yarn!

Miss Know-All
wow@dailymirror.wnl.lk