In honor of it being the birthday of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Narnia, which is sixty-eight years old this week, under the magical gazebo for MMGM I wanted to share some memories of my summer C.S. Lewis study abroad program. I also have some great Narnia-themed products and books to share.
When I was a young girl, I discovered the world of Narnia and wonderful books by C.S. Lewis, never suspecting that those wondrous moments stepping through the wardrobe would shape my writing and love for portal fantasy stories. I didn’t know about the spiritual allegory elements until much later in life.
In college, I studied all of C.S. Lewis’ writing while in England for several months and it was such fun. Imagine re-reading your favorite books while you’re walking where C.S. Lewis got the idea for a scene, where he first thought of Puddleglum by the shining pond, thought of Aslan while gazing at a carved lion, or was challenged in his own life and blended it into one of his adult fantasies or nonfiction works. I followed an expert teacher around all summer and saw where C.S. Lewis went to church and we had private tours of his home (see article HERE) in the Kilns.
That summer changed my life, after my grandfather had passed away I was looking for answers to life’s deeper questions. Re-reading his fiction awoke such a special understanding, and painted word pictures of concepts that can be hard to understand. And Aslan…need I say more?
C.S. Lewis attended Holy Trinity Church
It was the most amazing feeling sitting in his church pew and visiting the tavern where the Inklings held their meeting with J.R.R. Tolkien and others near Oxford University.
Beautiful Narnia-related favorites
I wanted to share a beautiful Narnia children’s book and products which might be a great gift idea for an enthusiast.
We were gifted this gorgeous pop-up book with images by Robert Sabuda. It makes the world of Narnia come alive, going through the wardrobe and seeing Aslan’s face pop up out of the pages is very magical!
Two of my favorite things are my phone holder and the gorgeous book bag in the photo above by Chick-Lit Designs. It keeps me focused on my own writing and is a great conversation-starter too!
And if you find yourself in Colorado Springs, the exhibit at Focus on the Family is so fun to walk through the wardrobe! You can see a preview hosted by my kids on my YouTube channel HERE and our review on the blog HERE.
Happy Birthday Narnia! What are some of your favorite books that have influenced your life?
Don’t forget to sign up on the home page for the blog email list to be entered in the winter book giveaways coming up soon! See the post HERE.
Elizabeth Van Tassel writes compelling middle-grade fantasy. She brings her knowledge and expertise in the field of gemology to the page and infuses her love of folklore into modern adventures filled with mystery. A wildfire survivor, Elizabeth also understands the both power of loss and the power of hope. And she’s always on the hunt for a great story. Elizabeth currently resides in the Bay Area with her husband and two sons. She can be found wandering the gardens of Filoli House, enjoying her favorite coffee shops, and engaging with other writers.
You can find MMGM (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday) reviews from other authors, originally created by Shannon Messenger, and continued by author Greg Pattridge HERE.
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