Agatha Christie
WRITER (1890 - 1976)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady
Mallowan, DBE was an English writer known
for her sixty-six detective novels and fourteen
short story collections. She is credited for
writing the world's longest running play 'The
Mousetrap.' Her books have been translated
into 103 different languages, and her works
rank third after the works of William
Shakespeare and the Bible, as the world's
most widely published books. Her novel 'And
Then There Were None' was her best-selling
novel with around 100 million copies of the
sold. In 1955, she was given the Edgar Award
by the MWA for Best Play. Agatha Christie
was a renowned mystery author not only in
Europe, but all over the world. Because of her
success in this category, she was named the
"Queen of Crime."
Maya Angelou
POET (1928 - 2014)
Maya Angelou was an American poet,
memoirist, and civil rights activist. She
published seven autobiographies, three books
of essays, several books of poetry, and is
credited with a list of plays, movies, and
television shows spanning over 50 years.
Angelou is best known for her series of seven
autobiographies, which focus on her
childhood and early adult experiences. The
first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
(1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and
brought her international recognition and
acclaim becoming an instant bestseller and
stayed on the New York Times bestseller list
for the next two years. In 1993 Angelou
recited her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning,"
for President Bill Clinton's inauguration
becoming the first African American poet and
first female poet to participate in a recitation
for a U.S. president's inauguration.
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