In 1917, two girls from Cottingley, England, presented supposed evidence that they had been able to photograph fairies. The episode, which became wildly popular in following years, spurred on by the media outlets of the time, convinced Arthur Conan Doyle himself, the great author of Sherlock Holmes and The Lost World. In a famous article in The Strand, Conan Doyle, waded into the controversy, arguing that the photos hadn’t been doctored and that they in fact bore the mark of spiritual creatures. Debated for decades, with arguments on both sides, the Cottlingley fairies have become a cult topic studied by Catalonia’s own Gemma Solsona, an author, and Alberto García, an essayist and mythology expert writing for the general public. This year, they even inspired a hit novel by Fèlix J. Palma, El gran timo de las hadas [The Great Fairy Fraud], covering the controversy, Conan Doyle’s involvement, two photographers who knew too much, and a subplot involving mafias and “peaky blinders”. All three of them, then, are the perfect people to explore the case and celebrate its spin-offs, whether scientific, mythological or literary, in an event that will also feature material rarely displayed in public.

Guests:

Félix J. Palma

Alberto García

Gemma Solsona