BBC Studios teams with the Agatha Christie Estate for BBC Maestro Agatha Christie Writing course

BBC Studios, BBC Maestro and the Agatha Christie Estate have teamed up to launch an Agatha Christie Writing course.

Using AI-enhanced technology, restored archival interviews, private letters and writings researched by a team of Christie experts, the course reconstructs Christie’s own voice and insights, guiding students through ‘the art of suspense, plot twists and unforgettable characters’. Audiences will also hear Agatha Christie impart insights on story structure, cast creation and red herrings.

BBC Maestro has collaborated with a professional actress, Vivien Keene, and expert visual effects artists to create a faithful representation of Christie’s voice and likeness.

The course has been curated by leading Christie scholars Dr. Mark Aldridge, Michelle Kazmer, Gray Robert Brown and Jamie Bernthal-Hooker.

“The team of academics and researchers that BBC Maestro has assembled have extracted from a number of her writings an extraordinary array of her views and opinions on how to write,” said James Prichard, Agatha Christie’s great-grandson, Chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited.

“Through this course, you truly will receive a lesson in crafting a masterful mystery, in Agatha’s very own words.”

BBC Maestro Chief Executive Officer Michael Levine added: “As a lifelong fan of Agatha Christie, bringing this course to life has been a dream come true, and I am immensely proud of it.

“Agatha Christie’s BBC Maestro course on Writing invites anyone and everyone who adores Agatha Christie’s writing to learn through her own words, exactly how she does it; her background, her inspirations, her craft and the lessons she learnt along the way.

“BBC Maestro was established to offer the next generation of talent a way to get started, to learn, not from teachers, but from those who have done it themselves. To be inspired by learning from the greatest. ​ As an 11-year-old boy reading “Why Didn’t they Ask Evans?” ​ I could never have imagined that one day, I’d be watching Agatha Christie teaching me how she did it.”

Thiago Porto, Visual Effects Artist, said: “Recreating Agatha Christie was a fascinating challenge. With only a handful of photographs and no video footage, we had to carefully study every available detail to capture her likeness authentically. Vivien’s performance was the foundation, and through precise craftsmanship and meticulous attention to historical accuracy, we worked to ensure every frame reflected the essence of who she was.”

The team at audio specialists RESPEECHER added: “Capturing Agatha Christie’s voice was an incredibly detailed process. We started with just a small selection of archival recordings, carefully analysing the unique qualities of her speech—its warmth, rhythm, and character. The voice actress gave a brilliant performance, and our role was to shape and refine the sound, ensuring that every word felt authentic to Agatha herself. It was a painstaking but rewarding process. We hope the result truly honours her legacy.”

Agatha Christie Writing is available on bbcmaestro.com.