Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery
A British Library and Living Knowledge Network exhibition coming to Central Library, Autumn 2026.
The Whodunnit Book Club
Love short stories, classic crime, or just looking to get back into reading? Join us for a relaxed and friendly Agatha Christie Readers Group at Central Library.
We’ll be discussing The Labours of Hercules — a collection of 12 short mysteries featuring Hercule Poirot, perfect for dipping into whether you’re a Christie superfan or are coming to her books for the first time. A limited number of copies are available to borrow at Central Library, just ask a member of staff
The first meeting is on Tuesday 26 May 2026, 12.30pm to 1.30pm at Central Library or join us online.
This session is ideal for mystery fans, short story lovers, or anyone who wants to ease back into reading in a welcoming, informal setting. Bring your lunch, meet fellow readers, and enjoy an hour of lively whodunnit book chat - no pressure, just good conversation!
Redesign a classic: reimagining Agatha Christie cover competition
Calling all creatives, artists and mystery lovers!
We’re inviting you to reimagine the iconic covers of Agatha Christie’s famous novels. From the suspense of Murder on the Orient Express to the intrigue of And Then There Were None, this is your chance to give a fresh visual twist to some of the most loved crime stories of all time.
How to take part
Pick your favourite Agatha Christie title and design a brand-new book cover. You can create your design using any medium, illustration, paint, pastels, photography, collage, stencilling, etching, printing or with digital art. Be imaginative, bold, and inspired by the story. Let your imagination run wild and bring a classic mystery to life!
Competition templates are available to collect from your local library.
What’s the prize?
Your design could be featured in the Agatha Christie: a world of mystery Exhibition at the British Library in London, opening later this year! A unique opportunity to showcase your creativity and skills to a national audience.
How to enter
Scan your completed design and email it to: living.knowledge@bl.uk
Include the following details in your email:
- name
- title of book/design
- local library authority or region
Deadline: Tuesday 30 June 2026. For more information, speak to a member of staff at your local library. Good luck!
Terms and Conditions of The Redesign a classic: reimagining Agatha Christie cover competition
Formats:
All artistic styles are welcome to produce cover art. You can focus on one medium or blend multiple approaches in the same piece. Below are some examples of mediums you can use.
- Illustration
- Paint
- Pastels
- Photography
- Collage
- Stencilling
- Etching
- Printing
- Digital Art
Template: (11 x 18 cm) Small Paperback
Participants need a blank piece of paper size 11 x 18cm
Submissions
To submit designs either as an individual or as a member of library staff hosting a workshop, please scan or take a high-quality photograph of each artwork and send them to living.knowledge@bl.uk
Selected submissions may feature in a digital exhibition of artworks and/or be displayed on LKN exhibition panels at library venues across the UK.
In your email, please include:
- name
- title of book and/or design
- local Library authority or region
Please ensure that image files are high resolution and scanned or photographed in colour.
If you are a member of staff hosting a workshop, scans of artworks would be preferable and please only scan one artwork per page.
If you are submitting multiple images, you may find it useful to use an online file transfer website like WeTransfer or other online file sharing service.
We may contact you if we require a higher resolution version of a submitted design.
Submission Guidance
Please note, submissions will be moderated. Moderators reserve the right to dismiss any works that have malicious intent, offensive content, that have been generated using Artificial Intelligence, or that are not of sufficient quality in terms of technical specification.
The creator of the artwork will retain the IP (intellectual property), however, by sharing the design with the Living Knowledge Network team you are allowing the design to be used for marketing purposes.
Images included in this pack are reproduced with permission from Agatha Christie Limited and the Tom Adams Estate.
All other images have been sourced under Creative Commons licenses with no known restrictions on use.
The images are provided for inspirational and educational purposes only. They should not be directly copied, replicated, or reproduced in full in any submitted work.
If you are using any pre-existing images in your work be sure to check copyright restrictions!
Participants are encourages to interpret the materials creatively and develop original responses, rather than closely imitating the source imagery.
Submissions created using AI-generated imagery or assistance will not be accepted; all work should be demonstrate individual creative input and authorship.
The resource is intended for non-commercial use only. Any resulting work should not be used for commercial purposes or financial gain.
Full Terms and Conditions will be available soon, please email living.knowledge@bl.uk for more information.