Author Info | - Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898. He was a fellow and tutor in English Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later was Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, where he remained until his death in 1963. He wrote numerous books of literary criticism and on Chistianity, the best-known being 'The Screwtape Letters', as well as four novels for adults. Lewis (known as Jack to his friends) and his good friend J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, were part of the Inklings, an informal writers' club that met at a local pub to discuss story ideas. Lewis's fascination with fairy tales, myths and ancient legends, coupled with inspiration from his childhood, led him to write the seven Chronicles of Narnia. These were his only works for children, and they have become acknowledged classics of children's literature. The best-known of these, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, began with a picture in Lewis's head, at the age of 16, of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. It is now being made into a film by Walden Media, due for release in the latter part of 2005.
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