For thirty years, the Oxford C. S. Lewis Society has met weekly in the medieval colleges of Oxford University. During that time, it has hosted as speakers nearly all those still living who were associated with the Inklings-the Oxford literary circle led by C. S. Lewis-, as well as authors and thinkers of a prominence that nears Lewis’s own. This book offers the reader a chance to join this unique group. The author has worked with Society past-presidents Brendan and Judith Wolfe to select the best unpublished talks, which are here made available to the public for the first time. They represent ... More

For thirty years, the Oxford C. S. Lewis Society has met weekly in the medieval colleges of Oxford University. During that time, it has hosted as speakers nearly all those still living who were associated with the Inklings-the Oxford literary circle led by C. S. Lewis-, as well as authors and thinkers of a prominence that nears Lewis’s own. This book offers the reader a chance to join this unique group. The author has worked with Society past-presidents Brendan and Judith Wolfe to select the best unpublished talks, which are here made available to the public for the first time. They represent the best of traditional academic essays, thoughtful memoirs, and informal reminiscences about C. S. Lewis and his circle. The reader will re-imagine Lewis’s Cosmic Trilogy with former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; read philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe’s final word on Lewis’s arguments for Christianity; hear the Reverend Peter Bide’s memories of marrying Lewis and Joy Davidman in an Oxford hospital; and learn about Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles from his former secretary. Representing the best of both personal and scholarly engagement with C. S. Lewis and the Inklings, the talks collected here set a new tone for engagement with this iconic Oxford literary circle-a tone close to Lewis’s own Oxford-bred sharpness and wryness, seasoned with good humour and genuine affection for C. S. Lewis and his circle.