Interview with Jan Carson at the Belfast Book Festival

Interview with Jan Carson at the Belfast Book Festival

Author: The Swinging Christies August 3, 2025 Duration: 55:20

Gray and Mark head to beautiful Belfast to chat to novelist and Agatha Christie fan Jan Carson. Jan has been tackling the Troubles in her work for some time, and we want to discuss with her Christie’s Troubles references in Passenger to Frankfurt, as well as Irish characters and references in other Swinging books - all the way from The Pale Horse to By the Pricking of My Thumbs!

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

Next episode: we’re going global… again…!

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:00:47 - Introductory chat in Belfast

00:02:46 - Interview with Jan Carson and discussion of Ireland in the Swinging Christies

00:37:58 - The Troubles

00:52:46 - Next episode, how to get in touch

00:54:03 - Closing titles

00:54:31 - Coda


Solutions revealed! - The Pale Horse, At Bertram’s Hotel, Endless Night, Passenger to Frankfurt

TW: Racist and xenophobic language quoted


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
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