Experience some of the places and environments that helped Agatha Christie write some of her most famous (and not so famous) novels including “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, “The Sittaford Mystery”, “And Then there were none” and “Dead Mans folly” to name but a few.

An exhibition of costumes worn by Maggie Smith, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Emily Blunt and Judi Dench from Agatha Christie film adaptations including Evil Under the Sun (1982), Death on the Nile (2004) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017). 

Both our walks meet outside The English Riviera Visitor Information Office on Vaughan Parade,
Torquay TQ2 5JG.

Our walking tours take guests around Torquay’s beautiful sea front, passing the places that played a significant part in Agatha’s life, such as The Pavilion, Princess Pier and Torre Abbey.

This unique event celebrating Agatha Christie’s love of sea swimming returns, taking participants on a one mile ‘sightseeing swim’ between two of the Bays most popular beaches.

45 years after Agatha Christie’s last Miss Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published in 1976, a new collection, Marple: Twelve New Stories, is published by HarperCollins, penned by 12 contemporary Christie devotees.

Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was 'just' an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley talks about how she researched and wrote her authoritative new biography which is published this September.

Professor Frankie Bailey explores the work of a host of new female writers of colour in the genre and encourages us to expand our reading horizons.

Author and journalist Shreemayee Das explores the romance novels of Agatha Christie which Christie wrote under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Caroline writes, hosts and produces the Shedunnit podcast, unravelling the mysteries behind classic detective stories such as those of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Josephine Tey. Join Caroline for a LIVE presentation of the podcast produced especially for the Festival.

We are rolling back the years to 1911 when Agatha Christie famously roller-skated on Torquay’s Princess Pier with her friends. We are teaming up with Revolution Skate to provide the skate hire, while a DJ will be spinning the period tunes on the old 78’s. Vintage clothes very much welcome – let the good times roll again!

Award-winning best-selling novelists Robert Goddard and Kate Ellis, masters of the craft of historical crime writing, talk to author and Christie expert Tony Medawar about Christie’s pioneering influence on the genre and their own work.

SOLD OUT We’re delighted to team up with the National Trust at Agatha Christie’s former holiday home at Greenway House to host an exclusive and intimate dinner for just 20 guests. Arrive for drinks and canapes followed by a guided tour of the house. A five course dinner is followed by an after-dinner talk by renowned expert on Agatha Christie, Dr John Curran. Carriages to the door of the house at 10.30 pm.

Cult hit event Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote comes to town, with an interactive screening of the classic Murder, She Wrote episode “Broadway Malady”. Jessica Fletcher heads to New York City but soon gets caught up in a murder mystery only she (or you!) can solve!

This year’s Festival marks 100 years since Agatha set off on her Grand Tour. Christie expert and author Tony Medawar, former producer of the Festival, explores what she described as her ‘travel life…the essence of a dream’, the 10-month odyssey around the world she made in 1922, illustrated by pictures from The Christie Archive.

David Morris, Editor and author of the authoritative website Collecting Christie tells us about his fascination with collecting Christie first editions and memorabilia in a year which celebrates the centenary of the first Tommy & Tuppence novel.

Put your sleuthing skills to the test and join us to play detective and figure out whodunit in this entertaining performance, presented by Paignton Library with award-winning crime author, Kate Ellis. Kate will follow the performance with a talk about her crime fiction and the golden age of crime writing.

London is a re-occurring location throughout Christie’s work and home to her detective Hercule Poirot. This illustrated talk follows in Agatha’s footsteps to visit her former homes, and the fashionable restaurants, luxury hotels and other locations that she and her characters frequented. Tina Hodgkinson is a long-time Agatha Christie fan and qualified London tour guide.

Put your sleuthing skills to the test and join us to play detective and figure out whodunit in this entertaining performance, presented by Brixham Library with award-winning crime author, Kate Ellis. Kate will follow the performance with a talk about her crime fiction and the golden age of crime writing.

David has studied the ghost stories of Torbay for nearly 30 years now and is certain that Agatha Christie would have been aware of most of them during her lifetime.

Caroline Hostein introduces us to cocktails in Christie and the stories behind the creation of our favourites, whilst award-winning cocktail mixologist, Cosmo Boardman, demonstrates the craft: learn how to make your own in this delicious Festival Fringe talk and demonstration.