Arthur Conan Doyle's first novel published

Sept. 27, 2011

LONDON, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The previously unpublished first novel of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle has been published in London more than a century after it was written.

The BBC reported "The Narrative of John Smith," which Conan Doyle penned between 1883 and 1884 when he was in his 20s, went on sale Monday. It was published by the British Library with the consent of the Conan Doyle literary estate. An audiobook read by actor Robert Lindsay has been made available.

Conan Doyle's four-notebook manuscript for "John Smith" is part of an exhibition at the library, which is to run through Jan. 5, as well.

"This publication and exhibition show that there are still new things to discover about this iconic literary figure," Rachel Foss, who co-edited the novel, told the BBC. "It's a testament to the richness of Conan Doyle's life and the archive he left behind him ... that we can still unearth such little-known gems."

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2011/09/27/Arthur-Conan-Doyles-first-novel-published/UPI-68761317106320/.