Talking to Agatha Christie

That’s a nice thought… I think I would be talking to Agatha Christie.

I know that I am always drawing comparisons between the past and the present (and perhaps, the future?), but in this case this again seems inevitable. A few decades ago, talking to a friend, a relative, or a loved one was much more difficult. If it wasn’t a tête-à-tête, and we needed to use more advanced technology than a letter, only landlines were available. You had to be physically there beside the telephone for the entire conversation. Then there came the cell phone. With it came mobility. You didn’t need to be in a fixed place anymore. Later still, it came the video call, where we could see each other, adding more intimacy to the conversation. Isn’t it ironic that actual calls are in decline? We are now communicating more through text messages or voice memos. It seems we are moving backwards again.

Enter AI

Now, something marvelous happened a couple of years ago… we had a breakthrough in computer science with the development of Large Language Models and generative AI. Now the computer can effortlessly simulate a conversation with anyone that you want to. You can give instructions to services like ChatGPT and they will impersonate the celebrity that you want talk to. I just did that as an exercise to this post. I asked to talk with Dame Agatha Christie, and it promptly provided me that experience. It was very instructive and felt very personal.

BBC Maestro writing course

Now, enters a curated course, with the permission of the family, for using the famous writer’s image.

The BBC Maestro course “Agatha Christie: Writing” is a groundbreaking online program. It brings the Queen of Crime back to life using advanced AI technology. Archival materials have been restored. Licensed imagery has been used. Actress Vivien Keene performed to digitally recreate Christie’s voice and likeness. This allows her to deliver the course in her own words. The content is meticulously curated from her original writings, letters, and interviews, offering authentic insights into her storytelling techniques. 

The course comprises 11 video lessons totaling approximately 2.5 hours, supplemented by 78 pages of course notes and a 100-page workbook featuring 12 exercises and 46 activities. Topics covered include plot construction, character development, clue placement, and the art of misdirection. This course was developed with the Agatha Christie estate and leading scholars. It provides a unique opportunity to learn the craft of mystery writing from one of the genre’s most iconic figures. 

So, you see, talking to Agatha Christie isn’t something impossible anymore. I know that the future holds many uncertainties… but that’s not one of them. If you like, you can easily have a conversation today with a historical figure. This could be a philosopher, artist, scientist, political leader, or writer. It really can be anyone else that you fancy.