The Agatha Christie Festival is an annual literary festival celebrating the life and works of Agatha Christie held in Torquay[1] and the neighbouring towns of Paignton and Brixham.
A five-day Fringe Festival is followed by a four-day Literary Festival and includes high-profile speakers and performances, as well as fun and quirky literary-themed events in unusual places.
In recent year's the Fringe Festival has seen events held on boats, steam trains, underground at Kents Cavern and at Paignton Zoo. The programme also includes an annual Agatha Christie Sea Swim, which celebrates the author's love of sea swimming and a dog-walking murder mystery. Events are also held at places connected to Agatha's life or features in her works, including Royal Torbay Yacht Club, All Saints Church, Dartmouth Steam Railway, Greenway and Paignton Picture House.
The Literary Festival is currently held at the Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey, with events also held in the gardens. The line-up includes expert speakers and authors talking about the author's life and work, as well as the genre of crime fiction in general. In recent year's, speakers have included Anthony Horowitz, Kate Mosse, Lucy Worsley, Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid, Robert Thorogood, Ruth Ware and Ann Cleeves.
The Festival is organised by Agatha Christie Festival Ltd, a non-profit charity and assisted by volunteers in the community. The Creative Director of the Agatha Christie Festival is Matt Newbury. Money raised through the Festival supports a number of projects that promote literacy and a love of reading amongst young people across Torbay and Devon.
The Festival should not be confused with the Agatha Christie Conference or the Agatha Christie International Festival Puerto de la Cruz.