Agatha Christie is celebrated as the bestselling author in the world with sales of her books estimated to be anywhere between 2 and 4 billion. Only Shakespeare and the Holy Bible have sold more. She is closely associated with her birthplace in Torquay, but also spent much of her life in London, living in several addresses and writing many of her novels there.

There are several reminders of Christie across the capital, including memorial plaques on two townhouses: Cresswell Place and 58 Sheffield Terrace. She wrote 16 of her celebrated novels whilst at the second address, including the world famous Death on the Nile.

Alongside the homes she lived in, Christie’s work is also celebrated in the West End. St. Martin’s Theatre has been running a production of The Mousetrap for 39 years. Prior to this it was hosted at the Ambassadors Theatre next door, starting from its opening night on November 25th in 1952. This continuity set a world record when the show exceeded 25,000 performances.

In 2012 The Mousetrap celebrated its 60th anniversary and the event was celebrated by the installation of a 2.5 metre tall bronze monument to Christie by St. Martin’s Cross. The memorial is shaped like a book and includes a bust, images of her works and information about her. Fans from around the world voted for the top 50 book titles to decide which of her novels would appear on the piece. These are written in more than 30 languages and in Braille too.

Agatha Christie definitely left her mark on the literary field and pleased billions of fans with her works. The fact that the novels have inspired theatre productions, movies and television shows is also proof of her talent and skill. It is fitting that she is celebrated in London as well as Torquay, the two locations that played a big role in her life, and these memorials demonstrate how many different ways there are to commemorate a unique person.

The post Celebrating a literary giant in London appeared first on UK Memorial Service.