The Bodley Head

The Bodley Head was the publisher that brought Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, into print in 1920 after it had been rejected by several other houses. Its decision launched Christie’s publishing career and introduced Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who became one of crime fiction’s most popular investigators.

Publication of Christie’s First Novel

Written toward the end of the First World War, while Christie served in the Voluntary Aid Detachments, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was eventually accepted by The Bodley Head after rejection elsewhere. The novel’s 1920 publication made the company the first publisher of Christie’s fiction and brought her debut detective story to readers.

Significance

The book introduced Hercule Poirot, whose subsequent popularity gave the debut a significance beyond its place as Christie’s first novel. The Bodley Head’s role was specific but pivotal: after other houses declined the manuscript, its publication enabled the start of a career that would make Christie one of the world’s most widely published authors.