The Sultan and the Detective: Sherlock Holmes’ Curious Adventures in the Ottoman Empire

About this event

Adults (18+). The Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection: 2026 Cameron Hollyer Memorial Lecture Historical fact: the last great Ottoman sultan, Abdülhamid II, fell asleep each night to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, read aloud to him by a palace attendant. This unlikely obsession is the starting point for Andrew Finkel's novel The Adventure of the Second Wife. In this talk, Finkel explores how the world of Arthur Conan Doyle intersected with the late Ottoman Empire, and what this reveals about storytelling, translation, and the unexpected ways stories travel across languages, cultures, and empires to take on meanings the author never intended. Andrew Finkel is a journalist and author who has reported from Turkey for major international outlets including The Times, The Economist, TIME, CNN, and The New York Times. He co-founded Platform24 (P24), an Istanbul-based NGO that supports independent journalism and freedom of expression, and is the author of Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know. Admission is Free. All are welcome. Please note, refreshments will be provided at this event.