William Collins

William Collins was the British publisher that began a long-running professional relationship with Agatha Christie in 1926, publishing The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and going on to publish more than seventy books with her over the next fifty years. Its association with Christie is recorded both as a landmark in her publishing career and in the publication history of the 1950 novel under discussion.

Partnership with Agatha Christie

In 1926, Christie was averaging a book a year when she wrote The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was her first book published by William Collins, marking the start of an author-publisher relationship that lasted fifty years and produced over seventy books. The partnership thus began with one of her best-known novels and became a substantial, enduring part of her publishing history.

The novel also marked a turning point beyond the publisher relationship: it was the first of Christie's works to be dramatized, as Alibi, and to enjoy a successful run in London's West End. William Collins's role in publishing the book therefore coincided with a work that expanded from print into the theatre.

Publication history

The book's publication information states that it was first published in Great Britain by Collins in 1950. This provides a specific point of connection between the publisher and the novel's original British publication, distinct from the account of Christie's broader career and the partnership that began in 1926.

The later edition identifies HarperCollins Publishers as the publisher of the e-book, while describing it as set from the Agatha Christie Signature Edition published by HarperCollins in London. These details distinguish the original Collins publication from the later electronic edition and its publishing imprint.