Photo of Arhur Conan Doyle with James Payn

About

Treasure of the Month - August 2014

In 1883 James Payn became the editor of The Cornhill Magazine. In the same year Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sent him the manuscript of his story, 'J.Habakuk Jephson's Statement', which was inspired by the mystery of the 'Marie Celeste'. The story impressed Payn, and it was published in The Cornhill Magazine in January 1884.

Conan Doyle and Payn  first met at the end of 1884, when Conan Doyle was invited to a contributors' dinner held at the Ship Inn in Greenwich. In the years that followed, Payn often reviewed Conan Doyle's work and was generally supportive of what he wrote. In 1896 James Payn had to step down as editor of The Cornhill Magazine due to ill health but he and Conan Doyle were able to collaborate when  Conan Doyle wrote a play based on 'Halves', a novel written by James Payn.
 
Arthur Conan Doyle with James Payn at his home at Maida Vale while working on the dramatization of 'Halves', March 1897