C. S. LEWIS: IN MEMORIAM
The British writer Clive Staples Lewis was born on this day, 121 years ago (29 November 1898). As a young boy, he immersed himself in the great works of children’s literature of the time, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit , by Beatrix Potter. He was also fascinated by Norse, Greek and Irish mythologies. All these aspects hugely influenced what would become his best-known work, The Chronicles of Narnia , a series of seven novels originally published between 1950 and 1956. The series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a world plagued by magic, mythical beasts and talking animals. The protagonists are all real children who magically enter the world of Narnia, sometimes called upon by the great lion Aslan to protect his world from evil. C. S. Lewis’ works have been a significant influence for both adult and children’s literature in the post-World War II era, being cited as an inspiration by Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials , or even J. K. Rowling, creator of the Har...