It's no secret - Christie festival hailed great success

More than 3,000 people attended one of more than 40 events, with 80 per cent travelling from outside the area and staying in local hotels and other accommodation.
Some travelled from right across the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, North America, South American and mainland Europe.
Ahead of the main festival, The Agatha Christie Sea Swim saw 225 participants swimming between Beacon Cove and Meadfoot Beach (two of Agatha’s favourite beaches) raising money for Rowcroft Hospice. The main festival then ran from September 8 to 17, with a fun five-day fringe festival followed by a four-day literary festival. The fringe opened with the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a supergroup made up of crime writers including Val McDermid on vocals. Other highlights included underground films in Kents Cavern, boat trips, garden parties, cocktail events, family theatre and even a dog-walking murder mystery.
The literary programme took place in Torre Abbey’s Spanish Barn and various other places across the Bay including Cockington Church and Torquay Museum. The line up featured Robert Thorogood (writer of Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise), Ann Cleeves (writer of Vera and Shetland), Ruth Ware (author of The IT Girl and The Turn of the Key) and Sophie Hannah who pens the official Poirot sequels. The festival also coincided with the 70th anniversary touring production of The Mousetrap at the Princess Theatre
The festival also saw Great Western Railways naming a train after Agatha Christie and the Vue Cinema hosting the south west premiere of the new Kenneth Branagh Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice. This was followed by a gala drinks reception in the Mercure Hotel, Paignton.
Matt Newbury,creative director of the Festival said: “We’ve had an amazing festival this year and it’s been so wonderful to meet so many Christie fans from right across the globe. The festival is a charity that aims to encourage people to participate in the arts and foster a love of reading and literature. As well as the main festival events, we have also hosted a young person’s mystery writing competition, while hundreds of local school children took part in our Creative Writing for Schools Workshops. Throughout the festival we held a raffle to win a stay at the Hampton by Hilton and tickets to next year’s festival. The success of the raffle and this year’s festival means we will be able to do even more of these projects in the future.”
The 2024 festival will take place from September 7 to 15.
* Meanwhile, Dame Agatha's masterpiece 'And Then There Were None' has been chosen by the public to be inscribed on a new tribute - namely a bronze statue - to the world renowned 'Queen of Crime'.
The iconic novel which made her the best-selling novelist of all time had 25 per cent of the total votes, with people from all over the world taking part in the public vote.
During the Christie festival fans were invited to vote on their favourite Agatha Christie book from a shortlist of 15 titles.
'And Then There Were None' is based on a fictional island but the inspiration for the location came from Burgh Island. Selling more than 100 million copies worldwide the story has become Agatha Christie's most adapted piece.
Brixham based artist Elisabeth Hadley, who has been commissioned to create the new tribute, will now start to inscribe the chosen book title on to the statue. The final piece will show Agatha Christie, sitting on a bench, holding a book as she admires the surroundings.
Cllr Adam Billings, Cabinet Member for Pride in Place, Culture & Events and Parking for Torbay Council said; “The tribute, set to be completed in 2024, promises to be a fitting homage to the literary legacy of Agatha Christie. With people from all over the world taking part in the public vote, it shows the regard in which she is held, and how she is an important and valued part of our rich cultural heritage.”
Jacob Brandon, Chair of Torbay Culture, said; “Torbay’s tribute to Agatha continues to celebrate the impact she has had on our local culture and heritage, and this vote, which was held during our annual celebration of the beloved author, is a reminder of our town’s connection to a global community of Christie fans.”