While the Light Lasts and Other Stories

infobox Book |
name = While the Light Lasts and Other Stories
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition
author = Agatha Christie
cover_artist = Geoffrey Appleton
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Crime novel
publisher = HarperCollins
release_date = August 4 1997
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
pages = 182 pp (first edition, hardcover)
isbn = ISBN 0-002-32643-4
preceded_by = The Harlequin Tea Set

While the Light Lasts and Other Stories is a short story collection by Agatha Christie first published in the UK on August 4 1997 by HarperCollins. It contains nine short stories and retailed at £14.99.

Contents

In addition to detailed notes by the renowned Christie scholar Tony Medawar, the collection comprises the following stories
* "The House of Dreams"
* "The Actress"
* "The Edge"
* "Christmas Adventure"
* "The Lonely God"
* "Manx Gold"
* "Within a Wall"
* "The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest"
* "While the Light Lasts"

Publication history

* 1997, HarperCollins, August 4, 1997, Hardcover, 182pp ISBN 0-002-32643-4
* 1998, HarperCollins, July 20, 1998, Paperback, 224pp ISBN 0-00-651018-3

First publication of stories

Details of the first UK publication of the stories published in "While the Light Lasts" are as follows:

* "The House of Dreams": First published in issue 74 of the "Sovereign" Magazine in January 1926, illustrated by Stanley Lloyd.
* "The Actress": First published in issue 218 of "The Novel Magazine" in May 1923 under the title of "A Trap for the Unwary", with an illustration by Emile Verpilleux. Prior to the publication of this volume, the story (with its 1923 illustration) was reprinted in the 1990 paperback "Agatha Christie - Official Centenary Celebration" by Belgrave Publishing (ISBN 0-00-637675-4). "The Actress" is Christie's original title for this story.
* "The Edge": First published, unillustrated, in issue 374 of "Pearson's" Magazine in February 1927.
* "Christmas Adventure": First published, unillustrated, in issue 1611 of "The Sketch" Magazine on December 11, 1923. The story was later expanded into novella form and was printed as the title story in the 1960 UK collection "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding".
* "The Lonely God": First published in issue 333 of the "Royal Magazine" in July 1926, with illustrations by H. Coller. Christie's original title for this story was "The Little Lonely God".
* "Within a Wall": First published in issue 324 of the "Royal Magazine" in October 1925.
* "The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest": First published in issue 493 of the "Strand Magazine" in January 1932. The story was later expanded into novella form and was printed as "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" in the 1960 UK collection "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding".
* "While the Light Lasts": First published in issue 229 of "The Novel Magazine" in April 1924, with two illustrations by Howard K. Elcock.

"Manx Gold" was one of the most unusual commissions undertaken by Christie in her career. As described in detail in an editorial note, the idea of a treasure hunt story was prompted by a wish on the part of Manx politicians to promote tourism to the Isle of Man. Christie wrote a short story which was serialised in the "Daily Dispatch" in five instalments on May 23, 24, 26, 27 and 28, 1930. The story gave the clues to the location of four snuffboxes hidden on the island, each of which contained a voucher for £100 - a considerable sum in 1930. Island residents were barred from taking part. To further promote the hunt, the story was then published in a promotional booklet entitled "June in Douglas" which was distributed at guesthouses and other tourist spots. Although a quarter of a million copies of this booklet were printed, only one is known to have survived. [Announcement of publication [http://www.twbooks.co.uk/crimescene/christienews.html] ]

References