The Sherlockian Interview - Paula Hammond

The final four volumes (49-52) of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories are now on Kickstarter (click here). Every day we will be featuring one of the authors in the collection. Today its Paula Hammond.

What’s the name of your story/stories in this collection?

I have three stories in this collection: 
“The Case of the Ghazi Genie”
“The Case of the Covent Garden Medium”
“The Case of the Bryniau Witch Tower”

How did the stories come about?

Watson tells us quite a lot about Holmes, but the dear doctor rarely mentions his own background, likes, and dislikes. You have to dig quite deep to find the man beneath the narrator. I’ve always thought that was a shame. For me, the important part of the canon is that the stories are about Holmes And Watson. It’s more than a friendship—it’s a partnership. 

However, Holmes is such a brilliant character, that Watson has tended to be seen as just an appendage. So, when I began writing pastiches, I determined to focus on that partnership, and what Watson brings to each case. I started by making a list of the things we know about him. Or, at least, the things we can we surmise, from the hints he drops in his narratives.  We know that he’s educated. A man of action. Someone who played sports in his youth, and chose the life of an army surgeon rather than enter general practice. He comes from what might be called a ‘good’ family, or at least one who was comfortably off, financially. He’s well-travelled. He has a longing for the countryside, which suggests he grew up in wilder spaces than the city he “gravitated” to on his discharge from the army. He enjoys his comforts—food, drink, tobacco, a bit of a flutter on horses and, of course, the ladies. He’s a romantic, with a vivid imagination and a creative flair—he is a writer after all. He’s also "alone in the world”. In fact, in many respects, he’s not that different from Holmes. That’s why they have such a great friendship. 

All three of my stories put Watson centre stage. In The Ghazi Genie, the story takes us back to Watson’s army days. The Covent Garden Medium shows us a grieving Watson, mourning the loss of his wife. The Witch Tower, begins with Watson chaffing to be away from Baker Street, but ends with him gaining a fresh appreciation of the life he shares with his great friend, Sherlock Holmes.

Have you contributed to anthologies before?

I’ve contributed 12 stories to the MX anthologies. I only wish I’d discovered them sooner because they’ve been an absolute joy to be part of.

Where did you first discover Holmes?

At school. I checked out a collection of the novels during the holidays, and was hooked.

Are there any writers/adaptations of Holmes you particularly enjoy?

Nicholas Meyer’s "Seven Percent Solution” was the first pastiche I read—and it was a game changer. Like all fans, you always want more of the things you love and "The Seven Percent Solution” made me realise that there was a rich vein of Sherlockian stories out there to be enjoyed.

Do you write on any other subjects?

I’m a professional writer, so I’ve turned my hand to pretty much everything and anything, from comic books to scripts for CD-ROMs. I’m currently trying to finish a couple of novels and am hoping to put together a collection of my short stories… but then, isn't every writer!

Where can fans find more about your work? 

You can see all my books on my Amazon Paula Hammond Profile.

You can also find me on Twitter @writer_paula,  on bluesky @WriterPaula.bsky.social, and Instagram @writerpaula