Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark

Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark

Author: The Swinging Christies February 2, 2025 Duration: 1:02:42

A talented British author, a story about machinations in a girls’ school… How much do Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark have in common? Mark and Gray investigate…

Featuring (from 5 mins in) a recording of a talk originally given by Gray for Romancing the Gothic, with kind permission of Dr Sam Hirst.

You can read our special article for the Agatha Christie website here.

You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We are on Bluesky at christietime.bsky.social. Please do rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts.

Our website is ChristieTime.com.

The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.

Next episode: stay tuned…!

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:00:53 - Introductory chat

00:05:00 - Gray’s Muriel Spark talk

00:38:24 - Mark and Gray debrief

00:57:21 - How to get in touch

00:58:58 - Closing titles

00:59:26 - Coda


Solutions revealed! - The Plymouth Express, Witness for the Prosecution, Lord Edgware Dies, Towards Zero

Sparks spoiled! - The Driver’s Seat, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

TW: violence against women


The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s might seem like a contradiction, but that’s the fascinating territory this podcast explores. Hosted by Dr Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown, it’s a deep and often surprising look at how the Queen of Crime’s later work intersected with a decade of radical change. Forget the stereotypical image of a cosy, unchanging writer; here, we examine how Christie’s stories from that era engaged with shifting attitudes towards youth culture, morality, and social upheaval. Each episode digs into a specific novel or theme, unpacking the subtle-and sometimes not so subtle-ways her writing reflected or reacted to the world of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a rad journey through time that treats her work with serious scholarly insight while embracing the vibrant spirit of the period. You’ll come away from this podcast with a completely refreshed perspective on one of history’s most prolific authors, hearing her familiar plots through a new, decidedly swinging lens.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 38

The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s
Podcast Episodes
6. Drugs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:42
Tune in to the sixth episode of The Swinging Christies, drop everything and peace out! Mark and Gray examine the references to drugs in Agatha Christie's 60s novels, plays, films and short stories. Purple hearts for ever…
5. Horror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:59
In the fifth episode of The Swinging Christies, Mark and Gray spook each other by discussing everything from contemporary fears to olde folklore in the 1960s Agatha Christies. You can find us on Instagram (as well as X)…
4. Fashion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:53
Episode four of The Swinging Christies sees Mark and Gray get all togged up and browse down Carnaby Street, as they examine style, art and Agatha Christie. You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Christie_Time. We a…
3. Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:29
In the third episode of The Swinging Christies, Mark and Gray turn the spotlight on class, inequality, society... all themes that are present and correct in Agatha Christie! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @C…
2. Rock 'n' Roll [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
It's the second episode of The Swinging Christies, and Mark and Gray are grooving to the music of the 1960s. Featuring brand new, exclusive insight from Agatha Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard, himself! You can find…
1. Sex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:29
It's the first full episode of The Swinging Christies! And Mark and Gray are discussing hot topics around sex and the 1960s. How does Agatha Christie write about gender, queerness, feminism, and how often? The answer is:…
Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:36
In the introductory episode of The Swinging Christies, Mark and Gray explain why they are embarking on his project to highlight the work of Agatha Christie in the 1960s! You can find us on Instagram (as well as X) @Chris…