Saturday 19th September 2026

Miss Marple and Sleeping Murder: A Celebration Panel Event

To celebrate both the 50th anniversary of the publication of Sleeping Murder and the sheer brilliance of Miss Marple, the Agatha Christie Festival have brought together three equally brilliant women for our celebratory panel event.

Professor Michelle Kazmer, Rachel Trethewey, author of Mothers of the Mind, and Shedunnit podcast host Caroline Crampton will discuss Sleeping Murder, Miss Marple and the role of strong women in crime fiction. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from these Christie experts and to celebrate not only Miss Marple but the brilliant woman that created her.

This panel event will be recorded for the Shedunnit podcast.

Professor Michelle Kazmer PhD is Dean and Professor of the Florida State University (USA) College of Communication and Information and a lifelong crime fiction fan who became enamoured of Agatha Christie at the age of 12. Her Christie scholarship has been included in edited volumes, conferences, repertory theatre notes, invited lectures, podcasts, radio, and television.

Rachel Trethewey read History at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where she won the Philip Geddes Prize for student journalism. During her journalistic career she wrote features for the Daily Mail and Daily Express, and subsequently reviewed history books for The Independent. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and received the Antonia Fraser Grant from the Society of Authors for her previous book Mothers of the Mind (2023). She lives in Devon.

Caroline Crampton is a writer and a podcaster. She is the author of two non-fiction books: The Way to the Sea (2019) and A Body Made of Glass (2024). She is the creator and host of the award-winning detective fiction podcast Shedunnit. She curates articles as editor-in-chief of The Browser, and she writes reviews and essays for publications like Time, Literary Hub and the Guardian.

Gallery

Venue: Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey

Accessibility

There is a drop-off point and limited parking within the grounds for disabled visitors. Entry to the Spanish Barn is relatively level, but there are a few cobble stones to cross, before entering the completely flat interior. We have space for wheelchairs, although if you let us know in advance, we can ensure that there is ample dedicated space for the number of wheelchair users. We have again raised the height of the main stage this year, so that guest speakers can easily be seen and have a hearing loop in the front half of the Barn nearest the stage. We also have two TV screens midway down the barn screening what is happening on the stage. There is a disabled toilet available to the rear of the Spanish Barn.

If you have any particular access requirements or enquiries, do please get in touch and we will do whatever we feasibly can to accommodate you. Please email admin@iacf-uk.org

Getting there

Getting to the venue

The Spanish Barn is in the grounds of Torre Abbey. This is on Torquay seafront and walkable from most hotels in the area. It is also right next to Torquay Train Station.

Parking

There is no parking in the grounds of Torre Abbey except for disabled parking. The nearest car park is Torre Valley - Torbay Council. This is a five-minute walk from the Spanish Barn.

Toilets

Toilets are available to the rear of the Spanish Barn for the duration of the Literary Festival.

Inside the Spanish Barn

Whilst we only have one evening event in the Spanish Barn this year, it can get cold so please dress with this in mind.

Food and Drink

The cafe at Torre Abbey is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am till 4pm and is dog friendly.

A short 10-minute walk away from the Spanish Barn are a variety of cafes, bars and takeaways.

Dogs

Dogs, except for assistance dogs, are not allowed in the Spanish Barn.

If you have any further questions, please email admin@iacf-uk.org

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