This document discusses the concept of canon within fan communities that have formed around the BBC series Sherlock. It argues that canon is a matter of literary consensus formed within interpretive communities, rather than individualized responses. The Sherlock fan community references a variety of source texts and adaptations in their discussions and creative works, showing that the canon is socially constructed and draws from multiple related texts. Determining what belongs in the canon is an ongoing discussion within the fan community.

1. Adler, Hound, Reichenbach BBC’s Sherlock Fans in Search of the Canon By Nicolle Lamerichs, Maastricht University ________________________

2. Argument: Canon’s a matter of literary consensus !

3. Theoretical points 1) Mediation of text with longstanding reception history 2) Interpretive communities vs. individualized responses

4. What is ‘canon’? Multiplicity Point of reference Earlier (fan) texts Official information

5. Original Sherlock Holmes Fanfiction Fan art Other BBC productions Costumes (cosplay) Pastiches/ derivative fiction Adaptations (e.g. Plays, TV) Detective fiction/crime series Sherlock modernisation

9. Conclusion

10. Contacts Recent publications: ‘Sherlock Abroad: Dutch Fans Interpret the Famous Detective’ In Busse, K. & L. Stein (2012). Transmedia Sherlock . ‘Stranger than fiction: Fan identity in cosplay’). Transformative Works and Cultures (September, 2011). [email_address] Contacts