Agatha Christie Returns via AI to Teach Writing Nearly 50 Years After Her Passing
Agatha Christie, the queen of mystery, is coming back to life—virtually—to guide aspiring writers. Nearly five decades after her death, her voice and image will teach a writing course for the BBC, offering a rare chance to learn directly from one of the most successful authors in history.
With over two billion copies sold, Christie's legacy rests on 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, notably featuring the sharp Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Now, through the online platform BBC Maestro, her wisdom will be accessible in a fresh, tech-driven format.
How AI Brings Christie’s Expertise to Writers
The course revives Christie using artificial intelligence, combining AI-generated images with audio recreated from archival recordings. Actor Vivien Keen embodies Christie, delivering lessons crafted from her original words. Every tip, insight, and story strategy comes directly from Christie's own works and interviews.
Experts sifted through Christie's writings and past interviews to extract her views on key elements like story structure, character development, plot twists, red herrings, and building suspense. The course is split into 11 concise videos, each under 20 minutes, making it easy to fit into busy schedules.
Course Details and Access
- Cost: £79 for individual purchase
- Subscription: £120 per year for Maestro membership, which includes access to this and other courses
- Additional offerings: Writing courses from bestselling authors like JoJo Moyes
This format keeps learning practical and focused, ideal for writers who want to sharpen their craft without fluff or filler.
Voices Behind the Project
James Prichard, Christie's great-grandson and head of Agatha Christie Limited, highlighted the depth of research behind the course. “The team behind BBC Maestro has drawn out a detailed collection of Christie’s thoughts on writing,” he said.
Michael Levine, CEO of BBC Maestro, shared his enthusiasm: “Bringing this course to life has been a dream come true. Students get to hear how Christie created her stories, from her inspirations to her craft and lessons learned.”
Why This Matters for Writers
This course offers a unique opportunity to absorb writing techniques from one of the genre’s masters, delivered in a modern and accessible way. It’s a resource that can help writers understand the mechanics of suspense and plot construction firsthand.
For those looking to deepen their storytelling skills, this is a chance to study the fundamentals of mystery writing directly from the source, supported by cutting-edge technology.
Explore more about the evolution of AI in education and creative fields through Edutopia’s insights on AI in learning.
To learn more or enroll, visit the BBC Maestro platform.
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