Today in Writing: September 15 – Agatha Christie’s Birthday

Agatha Christie was born today in writing history on September 15.

Today in Writing: September 15: Agatha Christie’s Birthday

Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890. Christie was a British writer known for her contributions to the crime and mystery genres. She is considered the best-selling fiction writer, having sold over two billion copies of her novels.

Additional Facts About Agatha Christie

Please take this opportunity to learn more about Agatha Christie’s life and her contributions to the literary world. Christie is one of the most successful writers of all time; however, her success did not begin easily. Aspiring writers should also use this opportunity as a writing exercise. Find inspiration and learn more details about Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie Biography

Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (née Miller) was born on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, Devon, England. Christie was the youngest child in her family and their neighborhood. As a result, she spent much of her early life alone. However, she eventually became involved with local theater productions, which she loved throughout her life.

Christie’s mother, Clarissa, believed she should not be taught how to read until she was 8. Agatha had taught herself by the time she was four and had an insatiable need to read. Her parents decided to educate Christie at home under their supervision.

The End of Agatha Christie’s Childhood 

Frederick Alvah Miller, Agatha’s father, died in November 1901, when she was 11 years old. According to Christie, her father’s death marked the end of her childhood. The family would face continued financial difficulty following the death of Frederick.

Christie began attending a school for girls in 1902 but had difficulties adjusting to a private institution. A few years later, she was sent to a series of board schools in France that focused on musical abilities. However, she decided to give up on her goal of being a professional musician citing a lack of temperament.

Agatha Christie’s Early Writing Career

Agatha Christie returned to England and wrote her first short story, The House of Beauty, when she was 18. Soon after, she began writing more stories, including The Call of Wings and The Little Lonely God. Christie’s tales focused on the paranormal.

Although she was writing and producing, her submissions were all being rejected. Christie used several pseudonyms to submit her stories. She revised some of these early submissions and resubmitted them under her real name.

Snow Upon the Desert, Christie’s first novel, was also written during this time. Six publishers rejected it. However, Eden Phillpotts, a neighbor, and author, introduced Christie to his agent. Although the agent also dismissed the novel, he suggested she write a second.

Agatha Christie’s Early Pen Names

Monosyllaba

Mac Miller

Nathaniel Miller

Sydney West

Marriage to Archibald Christie

Agatha Christie was a socialite in her youth. Several suitors pursued her. In October 1912, Agatha met Archibald “Archie” Christie, a British officer. The two immediately fell in love and were engaged three months later.

World War I

At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Archie was sent to France to fight. The couple was married in December 1914 when Archie was on leave. Agatha helped with the war effort by working as a nurse, eventually working in hospital pharmacies. She would use her knowledge from this work in future crime dramas. After the war, the Christies settled in London.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Christie wrote her first detective novel in 1916. The Mysterious Affair at Styles introduced one of her most well-known and long-lasting characters, former Belgian police officer Hercule Poirot. The first publisher declined Christie’s novel. Fortunately, a second publisher agreed to publish her book, barring some edits. Christie agreed and signed on for her subsequent five novels. The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920.

Christie was a fan of the detective genre and admired the works of novelists like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes. She also drew inspiration from her life. Christie worked with numerous Belgian refugees coming to England from their war-torn homes.

Post-War Life

The couple welcomed a daughter, Rosalind, after the war in August 1919. Settling into their life in London, Archie left the Royal Air Force and entered the financial sector. Agatha continued to write novels featuring new characters and bringing Poirot back for further mysteries. 

Notable Agatha Christie Books

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1921)

The Secret Adversary (1922)

The Murder on the Links (1923)

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)

The Big Four (1927)

The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)

Peril at End House (1932)

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (1934)

The ABC Murders (1935)

And Then There Were None (1939)

Five Little Pigs (1943)

Crooked House (1949)

A Murder is Announced (1950)

The Pale Horse (1961)

Endless Night (1967)

Postern of Fate (1973)

The Agatha Christie Disappearance

In April 1926, Agatha’s mother, Clarissa Miller, died. It sent her into a deep depression, with British newspapers mentioning a “breakdown” in August 1926. Later in August, Archie asked Agatha for divorce- he had fallen in love with another woman.

On the evening of December 3, 1926, Agatha disappeared from the couple’s home. Earlier in the day, she and Archie had fought. Agatha’s car was discovered abandoned in the morning, about 10 miles away. She was nowhere to be found, but clothes and an expired driver’s license were inside. 

Agatha Christie was a well-known author at the time, so the story of her vanishing dominated the news. Agatha Christie’s disappearance was featured on the front page of The New York Times in the United States. British politicians organized searches, and newspapers offered rewards for information. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle contacted a medium to help find her. The mystery led to a nationwide search across England, but the author remained missing for ten days.

On December 14, 1926, Christie was found nearly 200 miles from her home at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire. She was registered there as Mrs Tressa Neele from Capetown S.A. (South Africa). Neele was the surname of Archie’s lover, Nancy Neele.

The mystery of Agatha Christie’s disappearance remains unsolved. Christie herself has no memory of those ten days and was diagnosed by two doctors as having memory loss. One theory supposes she had a severe mental and emotional breakdown and could have been in a fugue state. Others believe Christie might have been trying to embarrass Archie. Audiences at the time thought it was a publicity stunt or an attempt to frame Archie for her murder.

Divorce

Agatha and Archie were officially divorced in October 1928. Archie married his lover Nancy the following week. Agatha was granted custody of the couple’s daughter Rosalind and the Christie name for her writing.

In the same year, Agatha Christie took the Orient Express to Istanbul, then to Baghdad. She became involved in the archeology taking place in the Middle East, a recurring theme in several of her novels. Through her new interest, she also met archaeologist Max Mallowan. The two would marry in September 1930.

Further Writing Career

The couple lived in England, but Mallowan spent a lot of time in the Middle East for his archeology work. Christie would accompany him on these expeditions, providing inspiration for her writing. Mallowan would also contribute information for some of her novels.

Her frequent rail travel across Europe gave Christie the inspiration for her 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express. The Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul alleges it is where Christie wrote the novel. Her room there is maintained as a memorial.

World War II

With the outbreak of World War II, Christie again volunteered for the war effort. She again took a role in a hospital pharmacy. The position allowed her to update her knowledge of poison, which became a central focus in her 1961 novel, The Pale Horse. British doctors in 1977 credit reading Christie’s book for recognizing symptoms of a case of thallium poisoning.

Later Life and Death

Christie continued to write into her later life. She completed her final novel, Postern of Fate, in 1973. However, Christie’s health was in decline. It is believed she had Alzheimer’s at the time she wrote her final novel.  

Agatha Christie died on January 12, 1976, from natural causes. She was 85 years old. Agatha was buried at St Mary’s in Cholsey, Oxfordshire.

Today in Writing: September 15 – Agatha Christie Quotes

Agatha Christie was a master of murder and mystery. Her writing made a long-lasting mark that will continue to draw new readers. Christie’s ability to craft mystery and suspense that captivated millions of readers is her legacy.

Aspiring writers should also take note of Christie’s writing style and early struggles. Her ability to capture her experiences, passions, and interests and transcribe them onto the page is something that should be copied. Agatha Christie also struggled to first get published. However, she never quit and became one of the best-selling authors of all time.

Agatha Christie Quotes

Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that’s no reason not to give it.

The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.

Evil is not something superhuman, it’s something less than human.

Very few of us are what we seem.

The happy people are failures because they are on such good terms with themselves they don’t give a damn.

Crime is terribly revealing. Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind and your soul is revealed by your actions.

Today in Writing: September 15 – Aspiring Writers Daily Writing Exercise

Do any of the stories from Agatha Christie’s life inspire you? Do any of Christie’s contributions to literature give you an idea? Do any of her quotes inspire you? 

Find a topic from today’s update and freewrite about it for at least 10 minutes. Don’t let any opportunity to write go to waste. Aspiring writers: Practice your writing today! Celebrate Today in Writing History September 15.