Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Agatha Christie Memorial

Agatha Christie Memorial  by Ben Twiston-Davies, Cranbourn Street, Covent Garden, London

“The Book” by Ben Twiston-Davies, 2012
A Memorial to Agatha Christie
Cranbourn Street / Great Newport Street
London, September 2016

“The idea of creating this wonderful Memorial to Agatha Christie was conceived and implemented by her grandson Mathew Prichard working with Stephen Waley-Cohen, Producer of The Mousetrap since 1994.   They identified the ideal location for it at St Martin’s Cross, a major road junction which is also the main pedestrian route from Leicester Square to Covent Garden, in the heart of London’s Theatreland.  Westminster City Council gave formal consent as well as offering consistently constructive advice. Everyone involved recognised the merit of a permanent Memorial to the world’s best-selling novelist and author of the world’s longest running stage production. The Memorial is in the form of a book, about 2.4 metres high, made in bronze, which appears to float above its base.  It is lit from below as well as from within, and contains an over-life-size bust of Agatha Christie, as well as images of some of her greatest creations, and information about her life and work.  It looks wonderful both in daylight and after dark.  On the Memorial appear the following texts, together with titles of some of her most popular and famous books and plays, in English and some of the many other languages into which her work has been translated.  The titles included were chosen in a competition among her fans.” (Agatha Christie Memorial)