Julian Symons (obituary)
Julian Symons (1912-1994) is an obituary written by Christopher Roden published in the A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (Vol. 5, 1994).
Obituary
Even before The Arthur Conan Doyle Society came into being, Julian was supportive of the idea. 'My only surprise is that there isn't one already in existence,' he wrote to me, early in 1989, 'but I am honoured by the invitation to become Honorary President, and delighted to accept.'
From that time onwards, Julian did far more than he originally said he would. '[I would be] pretty much a figurehead President. Although I'm an enthusiast for Conan Doyle's work and an admirer of his personality, I'm by no means an expert scholar of the writings.'
We were privileged to share a few hours in his company when he joined us at the Society's launch party in May 1989. He was, I believe, taken to task by a couple of Sherlockians on that occasion for something he had written in Bloody Murder:
- There are Sherlock Holmes Societies or Baker Street Irregulars or Silver Blazers in almost every country in the world except those which are Communist-controlled, there are journals and meetings and dinners and visits to the Reichenbach Falls. Some of this is amusing and perhaps all of it is harmless, although I have an uneasy feeling that the members of these societies are more interested in having fun with Sherlock Holmes than in the merits of the stories.
It was the viewpoint of the critic which made him so valuable an ally in those early days. Of course he admired the Sherlock Holmes stories: 'if one were choosing the best twenty short detective stories ever written, at least half a dozen of them would be about Sherlock Holmes,' he had written in Bloody Murder, but he continually stressed the need for people to consider the wider canvas on which Conan Doyle painted. The words of greeting he sent us to read out at the Toronto Convention (the last time we were to hear from him), re-emphasised the support he had given in the previous five years:
- The Society has done, and is still doing, a marvellous job in keeping the shield of Conan Doyle's achievement brightly burnished. We appreciate the transcendent merits of Sherlock Holmes — witness the marvellous edition of the Holmes stories published by the Oxford University Press and edited by the Society's leading members but we insist that Conan Doyle was more than Sherlock Holmes, as the historical novels, the sporting stories, even the journalism, testifies. As the millennium approaches we look towards new editions of those out of print books, and above all a full and just biography of a great man.
Julian was always quick and generous with his praise of the Society's efforts. Equally, he would criticise if he saw something that he feit could be improved, and for that we were grateful: it was like learning from a Master — he had, after all, entered the field of small publishing when he founded Twentieth Century Verse, a magazine publishing the work of young poets who did not come from the university tradition, in the 1930s, and had much important advice to impart.
He was generous in other ways, too. In 1991, he contributed the Foreword to the facsimile of 'The Dying Detective', which the Society co-published with Westminster Libraries. The story of the launch of that volume has been related before, but I will never forget walking into the Library early in the evening to find Julian sitting at a table reading a copy of A. S. Byatt's Possession. Despite being in considerable pain with torn ligaments, he had made the trip from Deal to join us in seeing 'The Dying Detective' off to a flying start. He later wrote:
- I'm afraid I was in rather a wet blanket condition on that Friday-a case of the Dying Crime Writer instead of a Dying Detective. My torn ligament was giving me a good deal of trouble, and it was the first time I'd been up in London for weeks.
Such was his humour, such was his generosity. And his humour extended even to the recognition given to him by his fellow crime writers. In 1990, he wrote to me:
- In May I receive something called the Golden Dagger for crime writing an award given by Cartier, handed over (though only momentarily) at the House of Lords-a kind of equivalent of a gold watch after x years service, you might say.
We were pleased that Julian could join us at the Tunbridge Wells meeting in May 1992, when the Society's Honorary Degree of A.C.D. was conferred upon him. No-one was more deserving of that recognition.
In recent years, Julian's health had been a problem to him. He underwent an operation for cancer in 1990 ('My surgeon, a charming Welshman, never mentions cancer, only removal of a malignancy to avoid the possibility of "future nastiness" My local GP is more outspoken, which I prefer.') Early in 1993 he developed aortic stenosis, a heart problem which caused alarming symptoms, and it was this which finally decided him that he must reduce his commitments. Fortunately for us Julian agreed to stay involved with the Society as an Honorary Member.
I shall always remember Julian's friendship, commonsense, guidance and sense of humour. Above all, I shall always remember Julian, the gentle man, for that is how he always appeared to me. I treasure the odd volumes he inscribed with a witty comment, and shall always cherish having known him.
In last year's Journal I referred to Julian as 'the grand old man of detective literature'. Well, to me, he was just that, but more importantly he was a friend and I shall treasure that memory most of all.
I am pleased to be able to say that Owen Dudley Edwards will be contributing an in-depth tribute to Julian Symons to the 1995 issue of ACD.
- Article courtesy Christopher Roden, founder of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (1989-2003).
