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Birmingham is to hold the first ever convention celebrating the life of Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The author once lived and worked in the city, where he drew inspiration for his later works on the fictional sleuth.

So it’s elementary that the first ever convention celebrating Doyle would be held here. It takes place on Saturday, May 30.

Sherlock may have solved crimes from his Baker Street home but Birmingham played a key role in elements of the classic tales.

Scottish writer and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived in Aston for several months from 1879 to 1882 as a dispensing assistant in a pharmacy, while away from his studies at Edinburgh University.

He published his first story The Mystery of Sasassa Valley and his first non-fiction work Gelseminum as a Poison during this time.

The great writer also had a mischievous side as he was cautioned by Aston Police for sending out fake invitations to a Mayor’s Ball as a practical joke.

He is said to have bought a violin from a shop in Sherlock Street - believed to be the source for for the name of the fictional detective and the character’s love of the violin.

He is also thought to have taken inspiration for the name of the family in The Hound of the Baskervilles from Birmingham businessman John Baskerville, the famous printer who invented the typeface.

These strong connections influenced publishers KnightWatch to hold the convention here.

Spokesman Theresa Derwin said: "We decided to hold Conan Doyle Con in May, to honour his birthday (he was born May 22).

"Birmingham has some fantastic reasons to be proud of itself.

"Not only is it a central location, and relatively easy to get to, but it is a vibrant, multicultural city with obvious link to Conan Doyle himself."

Conan Doyle Con is being at the City Tavern, Birmingham, starting at noon.

The day begins with a discussion led by special guest Tom Ue from the University College of London about Conan Doyle’s scientific hero, Professor Challenger. The professor first appeared in Doyle’s story The Lost World, about explorers who find a hidden prehistoric land in south America.

Next will be a panel hosted by Michael R Brush on Sherlock vs Challenger to debate the differences between the two characters.

A short story collection on Challenger will be launched and there will be a panel on the Steampunk genre of literature.

Michael R Brush will be releasing his own book - a new and original story called Mycroft Holmes and the Necromancer that features the famous sleuth’s brother.

The main event on the programme is a 90-minute play, presented by Midlands theatre company Don’t Go into The Cellar, which explores The Singular Exploits of Sherlock Holmes.

Each slot is 50 minutes with a ten-minute break at the end (included in times below)

12:15 - 12:30 Introduction by KnightWatch Press (Theresa Derwin)

12:30 - 13:30 Tom Ue on Professor Challenger.

13:30 - 14:30 Panel: Exploring Doyle’s Worlds: Sherlock vs Challenger (Michael R Brush, Steve Lockley, Jan Edwards, Tom Ue).

14:30 - 15:30 Book Launch of Challenger Unbound (anthology of Challenger adventures) and Mycroft & The Necromancer by Michael R Brush.

15:30 - 16:30 Panel: Steampunk vs Historical Fiction: What did the Victorians Ever Inspire Us To? (Rhys Hughes, S G Mullholland) Moderator Theresa Derwin.

16:30 - 18:15 Don’t Go Into the Cellar presents the 90-minute play The Singular Exploits of Sherlock Holmes

See the official booking site for how to get tickets to the event.

In 2014, the Black Country Living Museum was the setting for a new three-part ITV drama called Arthur and George starring Martin Clunes as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.