Nick Griffiths, Downroad Photography

An Open Letter:

Without a doubt, the destruction of the house in which Arthur Conan Doyle lived and wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles, as well as other stories, would be regarded by crime writers of all nations as a desecration. Although the creator of Sherlock Holmes was not the first crime writer, he shaped the genre into a vital and evolving form which has become one of the great cultural traditions of Britain and of the world. There is no form of mystery writing that is not in his debt. It is not at all excessive to say Conan Doyle is to crime writing what Beethoven is to music, Michelangelo is to sculpture, and  Leonardo is to painting. Contemporary literature’s roots run deep into those words penned in Undershaw, and the branches continue to flower and spread. This site is not just of British cultural significance but world cultural significance.

I think I can with confidence speak for crime writers around the world in emphasizing that  it would be an appalling act of barbarism to destroy Undershaw. There could be no more appropriate use of the property than that proposed by Mr. Rose and Ms. Patel, to become a museum and center for the celebration and study of crime writing,and I urge all crime writers everywhere to support their efforts.

For further explanations, please read Mr. David Charles Rose's cry for help: : "House of the Baskervilles in Peril." A link to Save Undershaw, which contains a brief video on the situation is available on the site.

Most Sincerely,

J. Madison Davis

President, The International Association of Crime Writers and 

Gaylord Family Endowed Chair of Professional Writing, the University of Oklahoma