Notebooks

A new biography on Agatha Christie has just been published. Melodramatically titled Duchess of Death, it has received a bad review in the Guardian (thank heavens). In searching for more information about the book, I've come across yet more information on the Guardian website, including a mini quiz about Agatha (I scored a disappointing 6/11 - more to study I think). I'm hoping to upload a podcast of an interview with John Curran, recorded in September 2009, about his book Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks. What an interesting interview. He was lucky enough to be given access to boxes of Agatha's notebooks and has found lots of new information, including an alternative ending to Death Comes As The End. I must get this book to see what is covered about the period 1934-1939 and what more detail can be gleaned about her times in Syria with Max.

Photo and podcast are from the Guardian newspaper website. John Curran being interviewed about his book on Agatha Christie's notebooks.

Penguin Publishing 75th anniversary

Just read in a copy of the Guardian newspaper that the classic Penguin books that we all know and feel nostalgia for is celebrating its 75th anniversary. What's the connection with Mrs Mallowan? According to the article, Allen Lane thought of the need for cheap, quality books after visiting with Agatha in Devon. So, it seems she inspired a revolution in publishing. He pushed forward his idea and Penguin Publishing was launched on 30 July 1935. Hmm, she would have been thinking about the first dig at Chagar Bazar which was due to start in the late autumn that year. Now that my eyes are alert for information about Agatha Christie, particularly in that period of time, it seems to come at me from all directions. Green was the colour code used for the covers of crime novels published by Penguin. Wonder if I can find one somewhere in a second hand bookshop.

Mrs Mallowan's music

The idea of Agatha Christie with an I-pod has started another trail in the attempt to understand her more. If the Queen can have an I-pod, I'm sure that Agatha would have had one for her long journeys to Syria and Iraq. I'm still reading 8.55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames and have discovered a few more nuggets of information, including Agatha's special request for Elgar's Nimrod from the Enigma Variations to be played at her funeral in 1976. I've found a YouTube video with my favourite pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim.