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The Meeting of the Minds

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde

A Picture of the entrance of the Langham Hotel
The Langham Hotel


The Langham Hotel in London is one of the city's most famous and historic hotels. Built in 1865, it was the first hotel in Europe to have electric lights and hydraulic lifts, and it quickly became a favourite among the city's elite. It was also the site of many important meetings and events, including the meeting between two of the most renowned writers of the Victorian era.


This meeting would go down in history as a momentous occasion, for both men would go on to become highly acclaimed authors whose works would endure for centuries.



These two men were none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde, who had come together to share their thoughts, ideas, and inspirations.


This meeting of the minds marked the beginning of a unique friendship between these two iconic authors. Their friendship would continue to grow over the years, and they would

often meet and correspond with each other, sharing their thoughts and ideas on literature and the writing process.


In fact, it is believed that their friendship played a role in the success of their writing. Both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde were known to be fiercely competitive, and their friendly rivalry may have pushed them to write some of their best work.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his detective stories featuring the iconic character Sherlock Holmes, while Oscar Wilde was a playwright, poet, and novelist known for his wit and satirical writing.


In addition to being two of the greatest writers of their time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde had different writing styles and came from different backgrounds, they both shared a passion for literature and were known to have a deep admiration for each other's work.


In 1889, both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde were invited to the Langham Hotel to meet with the editor of Lippincott's Magazine, a popular literary magazine at the time. This meeting was held to discuss the possibility of publishing some of their work in the magazine.


As a result of this meeting, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would go on to write "The Sign of Four," the second Sherlock Holmes novel, which was published in Lippincott's Magazine in 1890. Oscar Wilde, on the other hand, would write "The Picture of Dorian Gray," which was published in Lippincott's Magazine in 1891 and is considered to be one of his greatest works.


In conclusion, the meeting between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde at the Langham Hotel in London was an important event in the history of literature. It not only brought together two of the greatest writers of their time, but it also led to the publication of some of their most famous works in a popular literary magazine. This meeting solidified their friendship and likely played a role in the success of their writing.


There is a green memorial plaque that can be found on the building.


📍The Langham Hotel, 1C Portland Pl, Marylebone, London W1B 1JA


🚆 The nearest station is Oxford Circus Underground Station.


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