A QUIZ testing people?s knowledge of Devon?s most famous crime fiction writer will be running at Okehampton Library next month to mark Agatha Christie Week. The prize is a newly-published facsimilie copy of a first edition of one of the great writer?s novels. Quiz sheets will be available from the library from Monday, September 11. The world-famous writer?s birthday is on September 15, the same date as the 80th anniversary of the publication of her crime classic, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. To mark the occasion, a range of crime-related events are being staged by Devon County Council during Agatha Christie Week, September 11 to 16. Visits from authors, competitions and other events will test how much readers know about the celebrated Dame and her work, and the county?s libraries will spotlight their extensive range of Agatha Christie books, plays and films. A special online quiz will be launched by Devon County Council?s library service in honour of Christie?s status as a Devonian. Enter via the council?s website http://www.devon.gov.uk/libraries">www.devon.gov.uk/libraries for a chance to win tickets for the whole family to enjoy a river cruise from Dartmouth to the Christie family home, Greenway in South Devon, and free entry to Greenway itself. Agatha Miller was born in Torquay on September 15, 1890, and is the world?s best-known mystery writer. The Guinness Book of Records listed her as the best-selling fiction author of all time with an estimated two billion copies of her works sold; a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 45 foreign languages. It is often said that she is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Executive member for culture, Cllr Sheila Hobden, said: ?Agatha Christie is without doubt one of Devon?s finest figureheads and has legions of fans all over the world. I expect these events to be sell-outs.?
