Contents
Arthur Conan Doyle
Creating Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.
A Study in Scarlet · The Hound of the Baskervilles
- Born
- 22 May 1859
- Birthplace
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Died
- 7 July 1930
More people
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish-born physician and author whose detective stories made observation and deduction dramatic. He also wrote historical fiction, adventure, war accounts and arguments for spiritualism.
Early life
Edinburgh childhood
Grew up in a family with strong artistic connections.
Medical training
Studied medicine at Edinburgh, where Joseph Bell’s diagnostic methods impressed him.
Career
- 1882
Medical practice
Set up a Southsea practice while writing fiction.
- 1891
Full-time author
Left medicine as Sherlock Holmes stories gained readers.
- 1890s–1920s
Broader writing
Combined detective fiction with historical novels, public campaigns and lectures.
Selected work
A Study in Scarlet
Introduced Holmes and Watson.
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Places a mystery on a threatening Dartmoor landscape.
The Lost World
Sends Professor Challenger to a plateau of prehistoric animals.
Beyond work
Miscarriages of justice
Campaigned over George Edalji’s and Oscar Slater’s convictions.
Spiritualism
Became an outspoken believer in communication with the dead.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Walter Benington. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
