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Fantasy news round-up, August 2, 2010

Dawn Treader: new movie poster and trailer 
Dawn Treader, the film based on the CS Lewis book from the Narnia Chronicles, is being directed by British filmmaker Michael Apted and has been written by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Michael Petroni. It will be appearing in cinemas around the world from December 10, 2010 onwards.

There has also been a trailer available for the past month:

Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb – find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world. Joining forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian and the warrior mouse Reepicheep, they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan’s Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia, and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

German fantasy authors boast worldwide reach
Children’s books by German authors such as Cornelia Funke and Michael Ende are proving extremely popular worldwide. Books lover in the US, Korea and China love reading, amongst many others, Inkheart and The Neverending Story and since the 1960s German children’s books has slowly but surely conquered the international book market.

"I think that many countries experienced this social shift where people began to take kids more seriously and included them more in the conversation. In that sense, German children’s books were on the cutting edge, and that’s what made them a success abroad," says Regina Pantos, chair of the Association for Children’s and Youth Literature.

Daniel Radcliffe turns 21
Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Harry Potter in the film franchise, turned 21 on July 23. Born in Fulham, England in 1989, he had only just turned 11 when he was chosen to play the role of the boy wizard from the books by JK Rowling.

Forbes Magazine names JK Rowling as one of the world’s 30 most inspiring women
After seeking input from ForbesWoman followers on Facebook and Twitter, a list was compiled of the 30 Utterly Inspiring Role Models, and JK Rowling was chosen as one of the 30 women who “make the world a better place”. She’s in good company, with Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, Danica Patrick, Betty White, Elizabeth Glazer, Condoleezza Rice and Hilary Clinton also included in the list.

Ursula Le Guin allows British students to make one of her short stories into a film
Budding producer Rob Watson (Beaconsfield’s National Film and Television School) wrote a letter to Ursula Le Guin in April asking her for film rights to one of her books, and was shocked by its response. The author immediately wrote back and agreed that they could go ahead with the film without paying a penny for the rights. Now Watson is making one of the biggest student films ever. The 20 minute graduation film The Fleet of Vision is to cost £12,000 and will use sets first used in sci-fi epics like Sunshine and Thunderbirds.

“She doesn’t usually give away the rights to her material but she let us have it for free – it was amazing when we got the reply. Most student films are shot on location but we’re doing pretty much all of this on specially-built sets. There’s even professionally-made spacesuits being used,” said Watson.

Penguin Group see spike in First Half Sales and Profit
Sales at Penguin for the first half of the year rose 9 percent, breaking 493 million pounds. Sales at Pearson, Penguin’s parent, also rose 9 percent in the first half of 2010, with adjusted operating profit increasing by 79% to 178m. Overall, the operating profit at the book publisher more than doubled, hitting 44 million pounds (up from 21 million pounds a year ago). Penguin is one of the most famous brands in book publishing, known around the world for the quality of its publishing and its consistent record of innovation. Over the past five years, Penguin’s sales have increased at an annual average rate of 2% and profits at 5%. In the early part of 2010 Penguin grew well ahead of industry in its major markets and produced a substantial profit improvement. Additionally, Penguin continues to extend their reach to new audiences, most recently with the launch of Apple’s iBookstore and iPad where, in the US, Penguin’s Winnie-the-Pooh was the only book pre-loaded onto the device.

Posted: August 2nd, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: AA Milne, CS Lewis, Cornelia Funke, JK Rowling, Ursula Le Guin

Fantasy news round-up, June 30 2010

A round-up of the main fantasy-related news stories that have been published over the pat seven days.

Peter Jackson To Direct The Hobbit?
It’s the news all fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the seminal JRR Tolkien novel, had wanted to hear: he’s in talks to direct the two planned Hobbit movies, following the departure of Guillermo del Toro. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jackson is in negotiations with studio Warner Bros and its subsidiary New Line to fast-track the two movies into production. The aim is to bring them into cinemas in 2012 and 2013. He has not yet agreed to take the job, however. Other film-makers who have been mentioned in connection with the Hobbit job include David Yates, Neill Blomkamp, Brett Ratner and David Dobkin.

Tolkien festival to recreate Middle Earth in mid Wales
A three-day celebration of the life and works of JRR Tolkien aims to turn a part of mid Wales into Middle Earth. The Festival in the Shire will include re-enactments, games, and storytelling on a Tolkien theme. It will analyse The Lord of the Rings author, looking at Welsh influences on his work, and welcome fans. The event, at the Pavilion in Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion, in August, also includes an exhibition of Tolkien-inspired art.

Zelazny, Matheson, Trumbull and Butler inducted into Science Fiction Hall of Fame
Octavia E. Butler, Richard Matheson, Douglas Trumbull and Roger Zelazny are to be inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Zelazny’s short stories have helped secure his place; Butler is the author of the acclaimed Patternist series; Trumbull created special effects for movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Blade Runner; Matheson penned classics like I Am Legend.

Mpower and Beloved to adapt CS Lewis’s The Great Divorce
Mpower Pictures and Beloved Pictures are teaming to co-produce CS Lewis‘s fantasy novel The Great Divorce. Steve McEveety will lead the production team and children’s book author ND Wilson is attached to write. Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia books, published The Great Divorce in 1945. The story centres on a man who learns that the sprawling, dim metropolis where he’s been living is actually Hell; he hops on a bus headed for the outskirts of Elsewhere, only to discover that the one place worse than Hell, for a self-absorbed ad executive, just might be Heaven.

Posted: June 30th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien

The 20 greatest children’s books ever, according to The Telegraph

Some are time-worn classics, some more recently embraced. Lucinda Everett selects the stories that resonate with the young decade after decade. We think that it is a great list and have added some of our favourites immediately afterwards.

1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
   Far from fading with time, Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale of fantasy has attracted a growing audience in each generation. Rat, Mole, Badger and the preposterous Mr Toad, have brought delight to many through the years with their odd adventures on and by the river, and at the imposing residence of Toad Hall.
2. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
   The Lord of the Rings is a magnificent achievement, an epic tale of friendship, love and heroism. This book set down the benchmark for all fantasy novels to come, without it the world would be a poorer place. Perfection is a very difficult goal to achieve, the Lord of the Rings comes as close to it as is maybe possible. Readers will be left with dreams of living in their very own hobbit hole and the journey that the Fellowship undertakes will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Tolkien’s narrative is breath-taking and his beautiful descriptions of Middle-earth are a joy to behold.
3. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
   Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon’s house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who’s parents have been killed in a ‘car crash’. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher’s Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?
4. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
   Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy astounded the literary world, reaping high praise from adults as well as children. The final book in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass, was published to great literary acclaim, earning Pullman a place on the longlist for the prestigious Booker Prize and pushing the trilogy toward cult fiction status for both children and adults.
5. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
   Lucy steps into the Professor’s wardrobe – but steps out again into a snowy forest. She’s stumbled upon the magical world of Narnia, a land of unicorns, centaurs, fauns … and the wicked White Witch, who terrorises all. Lucy soon realises that Narnia, and in particular Aslan, the great Lion, need her help if the country’s creatures are ever going to be free again.
6. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
   A much-loved classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has won over millions of readers with its vivid and colourful collage illustrations and its deceptively simply, hopeful story. With its die-cut pages and finger-sized holes to explore, this is a richly satisfying book for children.
7. The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
   When Joe, Beth and Frannie move to a new home, an Enchanted Wood is on their doorstep. And when they discover the Faraway Tree, that is the beginning of many magical adventures! Join them and their friends Moonface, Saucepan Man and Silky the fairy as they discover which new land is at the top of the Faraway Tree. Will it be the Land of Spells, the Land of Treats, or the Land of Do-As-You-Please? There’ll be adventures waiting for them, whatever happens; funny, magical adventures that will delight children again and again.
8. Babar by Jean de Brunhoff
   "If you love elephants, you will love Babar and Celeste," writes A. A. Milne in his preface to "The Story of Babar". "And if you have never loved elephants, you will love them now."
9. Treasure Island by RL Stevenson
   ‘Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest-Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!’ Treasure Island is a tale of pirates and villains, maps, treasure and shipwreck. When young Jim Hawkins finds a packet in Captain Flint’s sea chest, he could not know that the map inside it would lead him to unimaginable treasure. Shipping as cabin boy on the Hispaniola, he sails with Squire Trelawney, Captain Smollett, Dr Livesey, the sinister Long John Silver and a frightening crew to Treasure Island. There, mutiny, murder and mayhem lead to a thrilling climax.
10. The Railway Children by E Nesbit
    When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter, Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else. They have many adventures, and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance.
11. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
    Arthur Ransome was a prolific writer of children’s books. Born in Leeds in 1884, it was his father, a nature-loving history professor, who inspired his love of the outdoors and nurtured a passion for fishing. As a child he enjoyed active, outdoor holidays: sailing, camping and exploring the countryside. He used many of these holiday settings for his children’s stories, notably the much loved Swallows and Amazons, a book that sits comfortably in the category of "timeless classic" and remains one of his most popular titles for young people.
12. Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
    AA Milne’s first stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, the most famous bear in the world, were published eighty years ago. Discover what happens when Pooh goes visiting and Piglet meets a Heffalump, not forgetting when Eeyore loses his tail and Pooh finds one!
13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
    Charlie Bucket finds a Golden Ticket which wins him a whole day at Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory in this captivating favourite by Roald Dahl.
14. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
    The Gruffalo certainly lives up to its reputation as a classic read for both children and parents. The fantasy story captures the imagination of pre-schoolers as it takes them on a journey with mouse as he strolls through the wood and meets the beast himself, the Gruffalo. As the mouse revisits inhabitants of the wood with the Gruffalo, the mouse successfully convinces the beast that he, the mouse, is the scariest creature in the wood.
15. Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan) by JM Barrie
    Peter Pan, the “boy who would not grow up,” originally appeared as a baby living a magical life among birds and fairies in J.M. Barrie’s sequence of stories, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. His later role as flying boy hero was brought to the stage by Barrie in the beloved play Peter Pan, which opened in 1904 and became the novel Peter and Wendy in 1911. In a narrative filled with vivid characters, epic battles, pirates, fairies, and fantastic imagination, Peter Pan’s adventures capture the spirit of childhood—and of rebellion against the role of adulthood in conventional society.
16. Watership Down by Richard Adams
    Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren – he felt sure of it. So did his brother Hazel, for Fiver’s sixth sense was never wrong. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver’s vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all…Published in 1972, "Watership Down" is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival against the odds.
17. The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
    ‘I’m Tracy Beaker. This is a book all about me. I’d read it if I were you. It’s the most incredible dynamic heart-rending story. Honest.’ Tracy is ten years old. She lives in a Children’s Home but would like a real home one day, with a real family. Meet Tracy, follow her story and share her hopes for the future in this beautifully observed, touching and often very funny tale, all told in Tracy’s own words.
18. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
    This book has enduring charm and young children will delight in the preposterous notion of a tiger creating mayhem in the house.
19. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
    The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first published by Frederick Warne in 1902 and endures as Beatrix Potter’s most popular and well-loved tale. It tells the story of a very mischievous rabbit and the trouble he encounters in Mr McGregor’s vegetable garden!
20. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
    Maurice Sendak’s children’s picture book has become an acknowledged classic. A winner of the Caldecott Medal for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year in 1964, Where the Wild Things Are is a timeless masterpiece that can be enjoyed equally by children and grown-ups.

So there ends The Telegraph’s collection of the 20 greatest children’s books ever. Fantasy Book Review would like to suggest 5 more titles that we believe worthy of appearing in such a list:

1. The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
   Mankind must put a stop to the dreadful destruction caused by the Iron Man. A trap is set for him, but he cannot be kept down. Then, when a terrible monster from outer space threatens to lay waste to the planet, it is the Iron Man who finds a way to save the world.
2. The Spook’s series by Joseph Delaney
   A wonderful and terrifying series by a new writer about a young boy training to be an exorcist. Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and has been apprenticed to the local Spook. The job is hard, the Spook is distant and many apprentices have failed before Thomas. Somehow Thomas must learn how to exorcise ghosts, contain witches and bind boggarts. But when he is tricked into freeing Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the County, the horror begins…
3. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver
   Thousands of years ago the land is one dark forest. Its people are hunter-gatherers. They know every tree and herb and they know how to survive in a time of enchantment and powerful magic. Until an ambitious and malevolent force conjures a demon: a demon so evil that it can be contained only in the body of a ferocious bear that will slay everything it sees, a demon determined to destroy the world. Only one boy can stop it – 12 year old Torak, who has seen his father murdered by the bear. With his dying breath, Torak’s father tells his son of the burden that is his. He must lead the bear to the mountain of the World Spirit and beg that spirit’s help to overcome it. Torak is an unwilling hero. He is scared and trusts no one. His only companion is a wolf cub only three moons old, whom he seems to understand better than any human. Theirs is a terrifying quest in a world of wolves, tree spirits and Hidden People, a world in which trusting a friend means risking your life.
4. The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
   When Pepper Roux was born his aunt foretold that he would not live past 14 years of age. Throughout his childhood his parents haven’t bothered with him much, knowing that his life would be short-lived. So when Pepper wakes up on his 14th birthday he knows this will be the day that he’ll die. But as the day wears on, and Pepper finds himself still alive, he decides to set off to sea in an attempt to try and avoid death for as long as possible. As time goes on Pepper steps into many roles and personas and has numerous outrageous adventures. But can he stay one step ahead of death? Or will fate catch up with him? And, if he does live, which of his many lives will he choose to adopt? This riot of a story is a wonderful adventure, and Pepper is an unforgettable character who stays with you long after his story has been told.
5. The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
   The Edge Chronicles is a young-adult fantasy novel series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. It consists three trilogies and three additional books. Originally published in the United Kingdom, this bestseller series has since been published in the United States, Canada and Australia as well. To date, more than two million copies of the novels have been sold.

Posted: April 14th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: AA Milne, CS Lewis, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, Julia Donaldson, Kenneth Grahame, Michelle Paver, Philip Pullman, The Edge Chronicles

Fantasy news round-up – April 14, 2010

Harry Potter to be re-cloaked
JK Rowling‘s Harry Potter series is to be given a fresh set of covers. Publisher Bloomsbury has taken the decision to give the books a facelift in a bid to attract new buyers and boost sales. The publisher has seen profits fall by 35 per cent in the past year in the absence of a new Harry Potter book. It is hoped that the fresh image will appeal to a new generation of readers and offset the profits lost to there not being an eighth novel.

New From HarperCollins: The CS Lewis Bible and A Year with Aslan
In conjunction with the new Dawn Treader books to be released this October, HarperOne will also release The CS Lewis Bible and A Year with Aslan: Daily Reflections from The Chronicles of Narnia. The CS Lewis Bible is one of the most anticipated Bibles of our time. This NRSV Bible provides readings comprised of over 600 selections from Lewis’s celebrated spiritual classics, a collection that includes Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, A Grief Observed, The Four Loves, and The Weight of Glory, as well as letters, poetry, and Lewis’s lesser-known works. Each reading, paired alongside relevant passages in the Bible, offers C. S. Lewis as a companion to a reader’s daily meditation of scripture. As people engage in their devotional Bible reading, they will also gain insight from his writings and spiritual journey as they invite Lewis into their spiritual discipline. A Year with Aslan will select the most thought-provoking and poignant passages from all seven books in the series, and provide reflective questions that get the heart of what matters most.

Ted Nasmith’s latest project with a Sean Bean connection
According to George RR Martin’s “Not a Blog” the latest Calendar of paintings of locations from his “Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy series will be illustrated by none other than LOTR illustrator Ted Nasmith. According to Martin’s website, the calendar will be debuting from publisher Bantam Spectra at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con in July.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ to be released as app
Philip Pullman, of the His Dark Materials trilogy, has already made a name for himself among many as anti-religious, whether you think he deserves derision for it or not. And his latest novel, due in stores May 4th, will likely only further cement his religious detractors. "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" tells the story of Jesus and his twin brother, Christ. Pullman, who wanted to comment on "the dual nature of Jesus Christ." Enhanced Editions and Canongate have released an app for the book, priced at $16.99, that includes the full text of the tale, the audiobook read by Pullman, and more than 20 minutes of interviews with the author. It was released on Palm Sunday, and is available now on iTunes.

Apple iBooks now available through App Store
Apple has launched iBooks, the company’s official e-book reader for the iPad. The app uses a shelf metaphor to display ePub titles a person has imported through iTunes, or bought through the iBookstore, to which the app opens access. A copy of Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne is included by default; books can be sorted title, author or genre, or manually rearranged.

2009 Bram Stoker Awards Winners
Superior Achievement in a Novel: “Audrey’s Door” by Sarah Langan
Superior Achievement in a First Novel: “Damnable” by Hank Schwaeble
Superior Achievement in an Anthology:  “He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson” edited by Christopher Conlon
Brian Lumley and William F Nolan received lifetime achievement awards by the Horror Writers Association.  The Complete list of winners can be seen here.

Posted: April 14th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: AA Milne, CS Lewis, George RR Martin, JK Rowling, Philip Pullman

Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy to open this month

This month will see the launch of the new Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy, a project which will explore the importance of fairy takes in literary and culture.

Professor Bill Gray, an English lecturer at the University of Chichester, is the brainchild behind the centre that will discuss and celebrate the folktales, fairy tales and fantastic imagination from across the world that has led to bestselling fantasy works by writers as diverse as JRR Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, JK Rowling, Angela Carter, Philip Pullman and CS Lewis.

“The heart of this project is a focus on the importance of fairy tales as a creative force both in literature and culture. Literary fairy tales can be seen, in terms of genre, to mediate between, on the one hand, folktales, from which they often derive both form and content; and on the other, the more elaborate narratives of full-blown fantasy novels. The Centre will provide a forum where writers and scholars from various disciplines can discuss folk narratives, fairy tales and fantasy works, both as independent ‘genres’ (the literary fantastic, for example, may not always have obvious folk- or fairy-tale motifs), and also in terms of the resonances and dissonances between them, and other cultural forms.”

For more information, visit http://sussexfolktalecentre.org.

Posted: February 9th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett

News of the first ever CS Lewis conference to be held in France

A call for papers on CS Lewis, His Friends and Associates: Questions of Identity has been issued. An international conference, to be held June 2-3, 2011 at the Lille Catholic University, will be the first of its kind in France. The deadline for proposals is June 5, 2010. You can find more information about the conference here.

The request has been made on Further Up & Further In, a CS Lewis & Inkling Resource blog, who made the following statement:

“Questions of identity are essential to the understanding of any writer. We are therefore seeking for papers which examine gender and family roles, national, regional, racial or professional identities, membership of a particular church, movement or club, ideological or political attachments, descriptions of oneself, either with regard to Lewis and those who knew him or in a study of their writings.

Among Lewis’s friends and associates we would include his brother Warnie, his wife Joy, JRR Tolkien, Charles Williams, Dorothy L. Sayers, T.S. Eliot, Ruth Pitter and Owen Barfield, but would also consider studies of anyone who worked with Lewis or who influenced him.”

For more information, visit http://cslewisblog.com/?p=372

Source: Further Up & Further In, Aslan’s Country

C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, also known as Jack was born in the Northern Irish town of Belfast in 1898. In the period between 1950 and 1956, Lewis wrote the books that he will always be best remembered for, The Chronicles of Narnia, containing six books which began with the publication of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and was completed by The Last Battle. These books have sold over 100 million copies and are amongst the most loved in children’s fiction.

Posted: January 12th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis

CS Lewis College to be built in honour of Narnia author

C.S. Lewis is having a college created in his name and it will be located on the  sprawling 217-acre campus of a former New England boarding school.

The C.S. Lewis Foundation has long been considering several locations throughout the United States for the C.S. Lewis College and finally settled on the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Western Massachusetts.

The college is be created in order to honour the author and to advance the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression. Lewis, who was baptized in the Church of Ireland at birth, fell away from his faith during his adolescence, but returned to Christianity later in life, becoming “a very ordinary layman of the Church of England”.

Since its founding in 1986, part of the foundation’s mission was to establish a prototype Christian “Great Books College” named in honour of Lewis. The college curriculum will emphasize the importance of reasoned thought, analysis and criticism, and focus on the visual and performing arts. The college will also encourage the values of service, the advancement of international understanding, and the promotion of health and fitness.

The Northfield Mount Hermon School, which had consolidated its program onto its nearby Mount Hermon campus in 2005, was in search of a new owner for the Northfield campus. The campus met the foundation’s criteria: it had historic significance, was located near other highly regarded educational institutions, and has scenic beauty.

The college, expected to open in the autumn of 2012, is projected to enrol 400 students and employ a faculty of 40 and a staff of 45.

Source: School Library Journal

CS Lewis was born in the Northern Irish town of Belfast in 1898. In the period between 1950 and 1956, Lewis wrote the books that he will always be best remembered for, The Chronicles of Narnia, which contained six books which began with the publication of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and was completed by The Last Battle. These books have sold over 100 million copies and are amongst the most loved in children’s fiction. He died in 1963, aged 64, on the same day as President J. F. Kennedy.

• The Magician’s Nephew book review
• The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe book review
• The Horse and His Boy book review
• Prince Caspian book review
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader book review
• The Silver Chair book review
• The Last Battle book review

Posted: December 18th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis

The Chronicles of CS Lewis Conference: August 14-15 2009

The producer of the widely popular Narnia films is joining forces with the author of The Shack to celebrate the life and legacy of legendary Christian author CS Lewis.

The Chronicles of CS Lewis Conference, which will be held August 14-15 at Northland, A Church Distributed, Longwood, Fla., will give unique insights into the mind of CS Lewis that won’t be found anywhere else.

The conference will feature William Paul Young, a long-time C.S. Lewis devotee. Just as C.S. Lewis’ books have helped people to explore tough questions that often keep them from faith in God, Young’s book has helped readers worldwide to reconcile their view of God with human suffering.

The host of the conference, Douglas Gresham, stepson of CS Lewis, is an accomplished author and co-producer and consultant for the Narnia films, including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia. Gresham will talk about how Lewis has influenced his life, both through his writings and as an adopted member of Lewis’ family.

Mike Fernandez, director of the conference, says attendees will leave with a new and deeper appreciation for Lewis’ works. "You can read about CS Lewis, but it’s another thing to know him personally," he explains. "You’ll get to hear from someone who was actually close to the man. Douglas Gresham has insights that nobody else would."

The two-day conference will feature music, drama and personal stories that reflect the work of CS Lewis, including a concert by gospel recording artist Sara Groves and a one-man adaptation by Tony Lawton of Lewis’ groundbreaking novel The Great Divorce.

For more information, visit http://www.northlandchurch.net.

Posted: August 6th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis

Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Concept Art

A new DVD for Prince Caspian, released in the UK last week, includes a brief glimpse of the work that has been done so far on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The fifth book in the Chronicles of Narnia sees Edmund and Lucy back in Narnia along with their beastly cousin Eustace. A sea-faring tale that reunites the children with Prince Caspian and Reepicheep the mouse on the voyage to the World’s End.

The Narnia Chronicles, first published in 1950, remain some of the most enduringly popular ever published. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been translated into 29 languages!

C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, also known as Jack was born in the Northern Irish town of Belfast in 1898. In the period between 1950 and 1956, Lewis wrote the books that he will always be best remembered for, The Chronicles of Narnia, which contained six books which began with the publication of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and was completed by The Last Battle. These books have sold over 100 million copies and are amongst the most loved in children’s fiction. He died in 1963, aged 64, on the same day as President J. F. Kennedy.

CS Lewis biography

• The Magician’s Nephew book review
• The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe book review
• The Horse and His Boy book review
• Prince Caspian book review
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader book review
• The Silver Chair book review
• The Last Battle book review

Posted: July 31st, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis

Lost CS Lewis manuscript found in the Bodleian Library

A professor at Texas State University–San Marcos believes he has discovered all that exists of a book that JRR Tolkien and close friend CS Lewis intended to write together.

According to a letter Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher in 1944, he had planned to write a book with Lewis called Language and Human Nature.

Steven Beebe, Regents’ Professor and Chair of the Texas State Department of Communication Studies, found the text in a notebook in the Oxford University Bodleian Library. Both Tolkien and Lewis were faculty members at Oxford.

“What is exciting is that the manuscript includes some of Lewis’s best and most precise statements about the nature of language and meaning. Both Lewis and Tolkien wrote separately about language, communication, and meaning, but they published nothing collaboratively.” said Beebe.

Beebe found the fragment in a small notebook Lewis used. In the notebook were early fragments of The Magician’s Nephew and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, along with several unpublished thoughts and ideas.

“I was so surprised to find Lewis writing about language and meaning, using examples and illustrations not found in any of his published work. I knew I had discovered something interesting. But at the time, I didn’t know I had found something important.”

Tolkien and Lewis met in 1926 and became long-time friends, helping found the famous Inklings literary discussion group. Tolkien’s efforts were instrumental in converting the atheist Lewis to Christianity in 1931.

Posted: July 13th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien