First poem by Agatha Christie, published when she was 14, found in the London newspaper Ealing and Hanwell Post of 8 July 1905

The poem, “Steam versus Electricity”, long remained unknown because Christie, in her memoirs, made a slip and stated that she had been 11 when she wrote it, rather than 14.

The poem is devoted to the breakdown of electric trains. In jocular form it describes how a steam locomotive comes to the rescue of a stricken electric train, delighting in its own usefulness. In the newspaper the poem is preceded by a note:

“A young author has sent us a rhymed commentary on the breakdown of the electric trains last Saturday.”