Many in the world consider C.S. Lewis the most important Christian writer in the English language. He is, certainly, among the most popular. Lewis wrote 38 books during his lifetime and all have never been out of print. To date, more than 200 million copies of his books have been sold C.S. Lewis worldwide. They include his classic children's series

The Chronicles of Narnia, the acclaimed satirical work The Screwtape Letters, science fiction novels such as Out of the Silent Planet and Christian apologetic works such as The Problem of Pain, Miracles, Mere Christianity and The Four Loves.

Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898 and raised in a home called Little Lea. His childhood was deeply impacted by the death of his mother when he was just nine years old.

Little Lea, Belfast

Following prep school, Lewis went to Oxford University as a student. In 1917, he enlisted in World War I. He arrived in France on November 29th 1917. Lewis was wounded twice during the war. He was discharged and returned home to Oxford in December 1918. During his time on the front, Lewis' lost one of his best friends, Irishman Paddy Moore. Upon his return to Oxford, Lewis fulfilled a promise he'd made to Paddy to provide care for Paddy's mother and sister, Maureen.

Following his experience in WWI, Lewis began a lengthy career at Oxford's Magdalen College where he developed an international reputation as a writer. Along with his brother Warnie and Mrs. Moore, Lewis made his home in a rustic brick home called The Kilns. He lived there for most of his adult life.

The Kilns, Oxford

Lewis lived a rather routine life in Oxford, but it was not without its intellectual challenges. Along with several close friends, including J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis created a group called The Inklings.

The Inklings gathered regularly at The Eagle and Child Pub where they drank beer, discussed philosophy, and critiqued each other's work. They also met informally in Lewis' rooms at Magdalen College. Both Tolkien and Lewis shared their classic works with The Inklings during the writing stage including Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia.

The Eagle & Child Pub

In the late 1920's, Lewis began his conversion from an atheist to a theist to a Christian. His story is well documented in his autobiography, Surprised by Joy. It was on a rainy night in 1931 that Lewis walked in the rain outside of Magdalen College with his friends, J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. During a discussion that lasted several hours, Lewis' friends convinced him that while there were many links in various forms of the world's great mythologies, Christianity was "the true myth." From that night forward, Lewis believed in Christianity. He developed an appreciation for the Christian faith that became the core of his life and his work. His most famous Christian work is Mere Christianity, a collection of essays written during World War II that convey a distinctly non-denominational view of Christianity.

A life long bachelor, Lewis began a love affair with an American woman named Joy Davidman Gresham in the 1950's. Their love story is well chronicled in Douglas Gresham's book Lenten Lands as well as the Richard Attenborough film Shadowlands. The film featured Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis and Debra Winger as Joy Davidman Gresham. Lewis and Joy had an official "registry marriage" in April 1956 before they were in love. The marriage was one of convenience in that it allowed Joy to remain with her two sons in England. Then, in October of 1956, Joy was diagnosed with terminal cancer. By that time, Lewis and Joy had fallen in love. They had a second "Christian" marriage at Joy's hospital bedside in March 1957. Days later, Joy was sent home to The Kilns where doctors believed she would die within weeks. However, Joy's cancer went into remission and she and Lewis were able to enjoy 3 more happy years together. Joy died in July, 1960. Following her death, Lewis wrote his now classic autobiographical essay on grief and loss called A Grief Observed.

Lewis spent the last few years of his career teaching at Magdalene College in Cambridge. By that time, he was immensely popular in both the UK and the US. With the help of his brother Warnie, Lewis responded personally to thousands of letters from fans, from the curious, and from those in need of his spiritual insights and guidance.

C.S. Lewis died on Nov. 22nd, 1963 … the same day as English writer Aldous Huxley and American president John F. Kennedy. He's buried in a tiny graveyard adjacent to Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry, just 4 miles from the Oxford University campus.

 

The Grave of C.S. Lewis

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To view information about the film of this book, click here:
Movie: THE MAGIC NEVER ENDS - The Life & Work of C.S. Lewis

If you would like more information on the life and work of C.S. Lewis, you can also read the introduction to the print biography by clicking here:
Book: THE MAGIC NEVER ENDS - The Life & Work of C.S. Lewis.

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