Alistair Duncan's Blog, page 97

Foreword

I have been informed that my guest foreword should be with me in a matter of days. This is very exciting news as it is the last piece of the puzzle (so to speak).

All legal permissions have been sorted out so this really is the last thing between me and the presses.

Haslemere Festival 2012 - Latest

As far as I know I shall still be giving a small introductory talk at Haslemere Hall in May/June 2012 as part of the Haslemere Festival. Unless there are changes, this talk will be delivered before a screening of the Hammer version of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

I have, this morning, penned the outline of my talk and it is shaping up to educational and hopefully entertaining.

I shall, assuming all proceeds as planned, see if my introduction can be recorded for use as a podcast.

More about the venue can be read here.

I shall make time at the end of the event to speak to people and also sign any books that people have bought in advance of the event. Books will not be on sale at the event itself unless there is demand for it. If you wish to buy books at the event itself you need to let the organisers know.

Dusting off old notes

During the course of writing my latest tome I made two trips to the British Library in order to look at Conan Doyle's letters, diaries and other items. My notes were hastily scribbled into a dedicated (no expense spared) notebook which I am now dusting off as I go through the manuscript for what should be the last time.

My reason? Well I want to add a few little tit-bits that I was in two minds about before. These are really little more than the odd word here and there but they will, I hope, bring a little extra clarity to the places where they appear.

After that dear reader there is precious little standing between you and the book which is still on course to be released on December 5th.

Now how many complimentary copies have I promised? Where is that spreadsheet?

Undershaw - an old perspective

Here is a link to an article re Undershaw from October 2007 that appeared in the Telegraph. Despite its factual errors it provides us with some idea of how the house was viewed four years ago.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3359609/Undershaw-Whats-to-become-of-it-Watson.html

The point of no return approaches

The finish line is in sight. The book has been written, rewritten, edited, rewritten again, tweaked and proof-read. A few Is to dot and Ts to cross and it's all done.

An honour

I have been invited to attend the launch at the British Library of Conan Doyle's first novel The Narrative of John Smith. It's an honour and something I'm looking forward to.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13667508

My best Sherlockian items thus far of 2011

I know it is only September but I feel compelled to put together a list of the best Sherlockian/Doylean things I have read so far this year. The list includes books and blogs and is not in order of preference.

Barefoot on Baker Street

A fascinating look at the life of Red as she works her way up from humble beginnings in the workhouse to the pinnacle of crime meeting Moriarty, Holmes, Watson and others en route.





The Dark Detective (Issues 1 - 5)

The superb illustrations of Phil Cornell combined with a good storyline make this a comic series to treasure.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the Cinema

A comprehensive (if slightly out-of-date) look at the attempts to bring Conan Doyle's works to the silver screen.

The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes

An above-average set of Holmes pastiche featuring a couple of really novel plots.

William Gillette: America's Sherlock Holmes

The first and only(?) biography of William Gillette who brought Holmes to the stage in the UK in 1901.

Always1895.net

A top class blog on all things Sherlockian.

Conan Doyle's other works

Now I suspect the vast majority of people are aware of Arthur Conan Doyle purely through his Sherlock Holmes stories. I am as guilty of this as the next person. Aside from the Holmes stories I have read ACD's autobiography, a few of his Round the Fire Stories, some of The Stark Munro Letters and a part of A Duet.

From someone who can count himself amongst Conan Doyle's biographers this is an uncomfortable admission. I feel that I have failed the great man and have, to a certain extent, justified his dislike of Holmes.

Therefore I make an appeal. To those of you, like me, who have read little else of Conan Doyle - make the effort to read at least one of his other works. If you have, make a comment and let me know what you recommend and why.

New chapter complete

The new chapter for my book is complete. It features a few pictures of various parts of Undershaw taken over the last few years. All pictures feature with the permission of The Undershaw Preservation Trust. My thanks to them.

Banned Holmes

In light of the recent banning of A Study in Scarlet in part of Virginia (details here) I was wondering what other Holmes stories could be subject to sudden bans.

Perhaps we shall see the following:

The Five Orange Pips being banned from Ku Klux Klan gatherings.
The Adventure of the Speckled Band  for cruelty to snakes
The Adventure of the Creeping Man for condoning experiments with monkeys/primates
Any other that are candidates for such treatment?