Sherlock Holmes conference draws international audience

What: The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes Conference
When: June 17-19
Where: The Commons Hotel, Stadium Village, University of Minnesota

Sherlock Holmes aficionados from around the world will be converging at the University of Minnesota this weekend to attend “The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes,” a conference that is held every three years.

“This conference features presentations by a stellar group of Sherlockians, an exhibit of rare and unique materials from our collections, and a dramatic performance by the Red-Throated League of the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota,” said Tim Johnson, curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries – the largest collection of Holmes materials in the world.

Speakers include:

Bill Mason has been a Sherlockian since the age of 13, when his mother gave him “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” for his birthday. He is currently president of The Beacon Society. Mason served as a senior level staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, the White House (where he worked for Vice President Al Gore) and the Tennessee Governor’s office.

Betsy Rosenblatt is a lifelong Sherlockian and an associate professor of law and director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law at Whittier Law School in Southern California.

Zach Dundas is the Editor-in-Chief of Portland Monthly and author of the recent book “The Great Detective.” Goodreads noted that The Great Detective is “A wickedly smart and rollicking journey through the birth, life, and afterlives of popular culture's most beloved sleuth.” He has been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since he found the Holmes Canon in his grade school library.

Soren Eversoll has been an avid Sherlockian since he was 7 years old and became a member of The Norwegian Explorers not long after that. Soren recently represented the state of Minnesota at the National History Day in Washington, DC where he presented “The Miracle of Minneapolis: Tyrone Guthrie and the Guthrie Theatre.” He will be entering his sophomore year of high school at the start of this upcoming school year.