In the Spirit of that anticipation, Douglas Gresham (who will be guiding the Oxford leg of the tour) has been kind enough to share an essay (originally published in Silver Leaves) that provides a refreshing glimpse of the many Inklings he attended with his stepfather, C. S. Lewis. There are many books about the Oxford Inklings (J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams & others) but Douglas’ essay is from a rather unique perspective – sitting around the table with them!  Shards of Diamonds can be found at www.oxfordspires.wordpress.com.

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We have added a new and exciting dimension to our C.S. Lewis Society’s tour, “The Path of C.S. Lewis and British Christianity.” Douglas Gresham, the step-son of C.S. Lewis, will be our special guest for the Oxford portion of our nine-day educational tour of England, May 31st through June 8th, 2009. He will personally accompany us as we visit the colleges at Oxford, tour the Kilns (Lewis’s and Douglas’s home in Oxford,) and enjoy an evening meal at the Trout Inn, where J. R. R. Tolkien ate often with “Jack.” He will travel with us as we visit the Eagle and Child Pub, where Lewis gathered with his Christian soul mates, the “Inklings.” It is an incredible honor for our society to have Mr. Gresham with us, who is co-producer of the two recent Narnia Disney films. It is gracious of him to share with us his personal life-memories of his years with C.S. Lewis.

With its main focus on both Oxford and Cambridge, the trip has been designed to touch minds and hearts–to inform and transform. By tracing the remarkable spread of the gospel in Great Britain and beyond-and C.S. Lewis’s unique role in that advance-we seek to inspire a vision of what God can do yet again, facing today’s challenges.

In addition to our time in Oxford, the tour will include visits to Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, the colleges and private tours of Cambridge, Ely Cathedral’s Evensong Service, and worship on Sunday at Cambridge’s historic Holy Trinity Church, where the gospel has been boldly preached for many centuries!

Daily talks will be given by not only our newly added guest speaker, Douglas Gresham, but also by Society director, Dr. Tom Woodward, on the life and theology of C.S. Lewis and the history of Christianity in England.

We have been invited for a private visit to Tyndale House in Cambridge to hear an evening lecture by the brilliant young British theologian, Dr. Peter Williams. British ministry leaders Ranald Macauley and Peter Loose will also give exciting talks, and joining us from Portland, Oregon is C. S. Lewis scholar, Darren Jacobs. (It is Darren who is a personal friend of Douglas Gresham and arranged for Mr. Gresham to join us while we are in Oxford!)

A comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus will carry us from start to finish, and all lodging, ground transportation, daily breakfasts, and entrance fees to all tour events are covered. There is an optional group rate for air travel from the US to London from your departure city or NYC, leaving May 30th, arriving in London on May 31st, and returning to the US on June 9th.

With only two weeks left to enroll for this tour, this is our final invitation for you to join us. It is recommended that you are able to walk several miles in some locations while on a walking tour, such as Cambridge. Our bus will carry us to any location that we otherwise desire. Also, a valid passport is required.

If you are interested in joining us for this exciting tour and receiving details concerning the price with an optional airfare package, please contact Normandy Woodward ASAP via email at:
normandywoodward@tampabay.rr.com or call (727) 244-4173. All monies and flight tickets will be handled through Educational Opportunities Tours, which is a Christian tour company. Normandy is the coordinator for the tour, but is working closely with them to insure that all reservations and entrance fees are secure and confirmed, and that all arrangements are done professionally to give you the highest quality tour possible.

We hope that many of you can join us for this memorable tour!

For those of you in the Tampa Bay area, don’t forget our upcoming event, DARWIN’S LEGACY, The Hidden Story, at the Oval Theatre, University of South Florida’s Marshall Center on Feb. 26th, 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Featured speakers will be talk show host Michael Medved, sociologist from England Dr. Steve Fuller, and our Society’s Director Dr. Tom Woodward. Tickets are available in advance by calling WTBN radio station at (813) 639-1903 or by clicking here at: www.bayword.com. Adults $10.00, students $5.00. Tickets are available at the door, but the capacity for the auditiorium is 700, so we advise you to get your tickets in advance.

Tom and Normandy Woodward
C. S. Lewis Society

Click here for more information on the C.S. Lewis 2009 Tour

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The tour will include visits to Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, colleges at Oxford and Cambridge, the Kilns (Lewis’s home for 30 years), and the Eagle and Child Pub, where Lewis gathered with his Christian soul mates, the Inklings. We will enjoy Ely Cathedral’s Evensong Service, and worship at Cambridge’s historic Holy Trinity Church, where the gospel has been fearlessly preached for four centuries! Dinner is planned at the Trout Inn, where J.R.R. Tolkien ate often with “Jack” (Lewis’s chosen nickname)!

Plans include daily talks on C.S. Lewis and the British Reformation by Society director Tom Woodward, and a guest lecture by the brilliant young theologian Dr. Peter Williams. British evangelical leaders Ranald Macauley and Peter Loose will speak, and joining us from Portland, Oregon is C. S. Lewis scholar Darren Jacobs. His vivid talks will make “Jack” come to life!

A comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus will carry us from start to finish, and all lodging, ground transportation, and entrance fees to all tour events are covered. See the enclosed price sheet for details and options. For those interested, we will offer an optional group air rate through our tour company, Educational Travel Service, which has the best group rates. This group rate is for travel from the US to London, leaving May 30th, arriving in London on May 31st. Return to the US is on June 9th. (Some of the tour group may choose to use their frequent flyer miles, and others may choose to spend some time in England or Europe before or after the tour, and thus arrange their own travel.)

Due to limiting the size of our tour to no more than 30 people, this tour is by invitation only to the friends of the Society. If you are interested in bringing some of your family members or friends, please check with us first to see if there is available room. Also, one must be able to walk at the pace of a tour guide at least several miles in locations such as Cambridge, where walking tours are the best way to see the city and colleges. Our bus will carry us to any location that we otherwise desire.

If you are interested in joining us for this exciting tour, please contact Normandy Woodward via email at: normandywoodward@tampabay.rr.com or call (727) 738-2898. All monies and flight tickets will be handled through Educational Travel Services (see enclosed form). Normandy is the coordinator for the tour, but is working closely with Educational Travel Service to insure that all reservations and entrance fees are secure and confirmed, and that all arrangements are done professionally to give you the highest quality tour possible.

Hoping you can join us for this memorable tour,

Tom and Normandy Woodward
C. S. Lewis Society

ACCOMODATIONS

At each location, including your first night’s stay at a Gatwick hotel on May 31st, you will be staying at well known hotel chains that are clean, secure, and comfortable. While in Oxford, Cambridge, and Salisbury, you will stay at Holiday Inns, and The Copthorne Hotel at London Gatwick is a very nice hotel. These have been secured through our travel agency that has guaranteed hotels that are therefore reputable and have the highest standards of cleanliness and comfort. They have been chosen to meet the standards of “American travelers.” Feel free to bring your bathing suit and work out clothes so you can sneak to the pool or fitness center!

MEALS

Each morning you will be treated to a complimentary continental breakfast at each hotel. A full English breakfast is available, at your own expense.

The cost of lunch and dinner is not included in the tour, due to individual eating preferences.

Estimated cost for lunch and dinners for the nine day trip: about $360. (Of course, this can range higher, depending on preferences.)

LUNCH: Prices average around USD $15.00

Typical Locations: Often we will eat at pubs, including the famous Eagle and Child in Oxford where “The Inklings” met. We will suggest the Tea House on the grounds of Ely Cathedral, and in Cambridge, there is a wide variety of restaurants available. In Salisbury, the Cathedral cloister has scrumptious lunches, (or your may choose to grab a lunch-size meat pie from the local bakery – an excellent tasty treat)!

DINNER: Prices range from $25.00 and higher–depends on the restaurant.

Typical Locations: Selected restaurants and pubs, including the famous Trout Inn where J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis frequently dined in Oxford, and in Cambridge, a popular Tandoori Indian restaurant that serves great food at reasonable prices.

ALL BRITISH DINING FACILITIES ARE NOW SMOKE FREE!

DAILY EXCURSIONS
(All transportation provided by a licensed and bonded tour bus company.)

June 1 – London to Salisbury
Salisbury – lunch and dinner, plus overnight
Salisbury was founded in 1220 when the settlement of Old Sarum was abandoned. It was built where three rivers meet. Beyond the walls of the cathedral, we will visit the town itself, with areas devoted to different trades, designated by street names such as Fish Row and Butcher Row. Near High Street Gate, we can visit the 13th century Church of St. Thomas, and nearby view Poultry Cross which was a covered poultry market.

Salisbury Cathedral
(A private tour of the cathedral has been arranged.)

This cathedral, one of the most important and beautiful gothic cathedrals in the world, was built mostly between 1220 and 1258. It is a fine example of the Early English style of Gothic architecture.

The Cathedral’s attached Chapter House displays an original copy of the Magna Carta, and its surrounding walls are decorated with scenes from the Old Testament.

Several details stand out. The Cathedral’s spire is the tallest in England, and thus the cathedral was spared from Hitler’s bombing because it was a German flight pattern landmark. The Cloisters are the largest in England. Inside the Trinity Chapel is the grave of St. Osmund who was bishop of Old Sarum from 1078-1099. The cathedral also houses the oldest working clock in Britain, dating from 1386. An optional tour of the roof helps you view the town of Old Sarum, but is a strenuous walk to the top.

June 2 -

Stonehenge and the Salisbury Plain
Stonehenge, built in several stages from about 3000 BC, is Europe’s most famous prehistoric monument! The megalithic ruin known as Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain, two miles west of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, in Southern England. It is not a single structure but rather consists of a series of earth, timber, and stone structures that were revised and re-modeled over a period of more than 1400 years. Near the monument are many other prehistoric burial mounds.

We will spend 1-2 hours at the site, walking around the structure from the path that encircles it, using a headphone audio guide so that you can proceed at your own pace and stop when you desire to take a photo.

Lunch in Salisbury or at a Pub in Oxford:

• City tour of Oxford via our coach (mid-afternoon)

Trout Inn for Dinner by reservation:

With a rich literary history, it is easy to see why The Trout Inn is a “must” to visit on our tour. From Lewis Carroll to C.S. Lewis, many famous people have sat on the banks of the Thames River next to the fast moving waters and enjoyed a delicious dinner by the bridge under the shade of the willow, or indoors by the fire.

The pub has been tastefully restored by incorporating its historic values with modern aspects, featuring stone fired ovens, log burning fires, deep leather seating and spacious teak furnishings.

Overnight in Oxford

June 3 Morning – Oxford

Magdalen College (Group tour)

Magdalen College (pronounced “Maudlin”) was founded originally as Magdalen Hall in Oxford in 1448. The founder introduced the teaching of Latin in the English language, and later pioneered the teaching of Greek. He obtained permission from Henry VI to take over the buildings and lands of an ancient and decaying hospital and established Magdalen College. Magdalen was among the first colleges in Oxford to teach science. Lewis taught here from 1924 to 1955.

Magdalen has some of the most beautiful buildings of Oxford and sits amid a hundred acres of woodlands, riverside walks, and lawns. Deer Park, adjacent to the college buildings, contains the College’s three hundred year old herd of deer. Magdalen also contains one of the best walks in Oxford, Addison’s Walk, which is just under a mile in length and goes around a great meadow in Deer Park. It was here that C. S. Lewis had his late night walk with Tolkien, which was a key turning point, leading to his professing faith in Christ as his Savior.

Magdalen’s Great Tower dominates the east entrance to Oxford. At sunrise on “May morning,” the Magdalen Choir welcomes in the spring from the Great Tower in a ceremony which has been made more famous after its filming in the movie, Shadowlands.

Christ Church College (Group Tour)

Christ Church, one of Oxford’s largest and most visually stunning colleges, was originally founded in 1524 by Cardinal Wolsey-a powerful figure in the reign of Henry VIII. The college buildings took over the site of St. Frideswide’s Monastery, which was suppressed by Wolsey to fund his college.

The monastery dated back to the earliest days of Oxford as a settlement in the 9th Century AD. When Wolsey fell from power in 1529 the College became property of King Henry VIII. Henry re-founded the College in 1546 and appointed the old monastery church as cathedral of the new diocese of Oxford. The new institution of the cathedral and university college was named Aedes Christi, which is rendered in English as Christ Church. The College’s Cathedral will be one of the most stunning parts of our tour.

During the English Civil War (1642-1646) King Charles I lived at Christ Church. He held his Parliament in the Great Hall. Two architectural spots stand out: Sir Christopher Wren designed a new bell tower in 1682, which houses the bell Great Tom, from which the tower and the quad get their names. Also, the incredibly photogenic Great Dining Hall has been used in the filming of Harry Potter movies!

Among the famous alumni are the philosopher John Locke, religious leaders John Wesley and William Penn, and the writers W.H. Auden and Lewis Carroll. Albert Einstein studied here briefly in the 1930s. The College also has a close connection with government. Christ Church has produced 13 Prime Ministers and numerous Cabinet ministers, Bishops and civil servants.

June 3 – Lunch in Oxford

“The Eagle and Child” Pub for Lunch

The Eagle and Child Pub is popularly known as the “Bird & Baby”, and it has been a pub since 1650. The pub belonged to University College from the sixteenth century until 2003, when it was put up for sale and was bought by St. John’s College. The first record of the pub’s present name is in 1684, when Richard Platt was granted a license to hang out a sign depicting the coronet with an eagle and child that appears

From the 1930s to the 1960s the Inklings (including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien) met in the “Rabbit Room” at the back of this pub. A glassed-in modern dining room in the back now provides plenty of room for us to enjoy a delightful lunch at “The Eagle and Child.”

Afternoon

The Kilns, C.S. Lewis’s Home

(A Private Tour)

The C. S. Lewis Foundation of Redlands, California acquired and now maintains “The Kilns,” the former home in Oxford of C. S. Lewis. Since 1993, lovers of C. S. Lewis have labored to restore and furnish the home as a Christian study center. The restoration was completed in 2001, and the home now serves as a focal point of Christian hospitality, study, reflection, and learned conversation between Christian scholars, artists, and laity the world over.

Dinner in Oxford and Overnight Stay

June 4 – To Cambridge

Free day: Lunch and dinner on your own. This is a time to catch your breath and spend time as a couple or with a buddy. On other days, we will be taking the famous Cambridge Walking Tour from the Visitor’s Center, as well as the Round Church Christian Heritage Tour, which include entry into parts of King’s College and other selected colleges and churches. Keep this in mind when you plan your free day. (Maps will be provided.) Everything is within walking distance.

Suggestions for your free time, which may include a nap:

Enjoy shopping on your own through the many small streets, where you will find quaint shops, book stores, as well as modern stores.

King’s College and Chapel (a more complete than on the city Walking Tour )

King’s College Chapel is the largest and most spectacular of the college chapel’s in Cambridge. The Chapel is the grandest and most beautiful building in Cambridge and ranks amongst the most important examples of perpendicular (late gothic) architecture. Stone, wood and glass combine with music to provide an unforgettable experience under Rubens’ Adoration of the Magi.

The Backs: (Photo above) The grassy strip lying between the backs of the big colleges and the banks of the Cam – A good place to walk or sit and view the views of the backs of the colleges.

Punting Tours (An experience you may not want to miss!)

See the city as it is meant to be seen – from the river! There is nothing more relaxing than being punted along the backs in a chauffeur punt with your own amusing and knowledgeable guide.

Jesus Green: A large recreational area (park) dating back from the 12th century when the grounds were used as a nunnery. Stoll under the trees or by the river Cam and watch the swans.

Any of the 31 colleges and grounds at Cambridge University.

The Cambridge University Press Bookshop is located on the oldest bookshop site in England. Books have been sold here since 1581.

Auntie’s Tea Shop (Plan to enjoy afternoon tea time.)

Traditional tea, coffee and cakes served at a venue close to Market Square.

University Botanic Garden

The gardens covers an area of 40 acres between the city centre and Cambridge railway station. The site is almost entirely on level ground, but the planting is very attractive, and in additional has scientific value.

June 5 – Cambridge

Magdalene College

The College of St Mary Magdalene is located in the center of Cambridge beside the bridge on the River Cam, from which the city takes its name. The College has its origins in the year 1428 when King Henry VI approved the establishment of a hostel on the site for Benedictine monks coming from their abbey monasteries in the Fenland to study Canon Law at the University.

Lewis’ rooms are five windows above the Parlor and Old Library; they are not open to the public but can be seen from the courtyard. His duties at Cambridge included tutoring and also one or two weekly lectures.

City Walking Tour of Cambridge (Time 11:30 a.m. or 1:30p.m.)

Official Tours of Cambridge organized by Cambridge City Council.

Excellent Tour! A Must for our group!

Cambridge Blue Badge Guides and Visitor Guides offer the most in depth and comprehensive guided tours of the City, Colleges and University of Cambridge. The tour covers the most important aspects of the city, university and colleges. Your guide will relate some of the fascinating stories regarding the famous people connected with Cambridge while looking at some of the best known and impressive sights Cambridge has to offer. Entrance to the magnificent King’s College and Chapel is also included when available, and if closed, we will visit St John’s College.

• Lunch on your own
• Dinner at a local Pub or restaurant

Evening lecture by Dr. Peter Williams,
Warden of Tyndale House.

Dr Peter (P.J.) Williams is the Warden (CEO) of Tyndale House, the primary Evangelical theological institution at Cambridge. A brilliant and popular teacher, he was educated at Cambridge University. After his PhD, he was on staff in the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University (1997-1998), and thereafter taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Cambridge University as Affiliated Lecturer and Research Fellow in Old Testament at Tyndale House, Cambridge.

From 2003 to 2007 he was on the faculty of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he became a Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Deputy Head of the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy. In 2007 he became the youngest Warden in the history of Tyndale House. He is a member of the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Cambridge.

June 6 – Ely and the Fens (14 miles north of Cambridge)

Ely Cathedral

Queen Etheldreda was the foundress of Ely in 673. She restored an old church on the Isle of Ely and built her monastery on the site of what is now Ely Cathedral.

Ely Cathedral is one of the largest and most important in all of England. Our tour of this architectural gem will be one of the highlights of the trip. The stories of the Cathedral will amaze you–including the collapse of the original tower and center section in 1322, and the creation of the unique “Octagon” section, which now crowns the rebuilt Cathedral.

The monastery at Ely was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539, but then refounded in 1541. Ely suffered less than many other monasteries, but even so, statues were destroyed together with carvings and stained glass when Oliver Cromwell closed the cathedral for 17 years. Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely for several years after inheriting the position of local tax collector in 1636. His former home (photo right) dates to the 16th century and is now used by the Tourist Information Office as well as being a museum with rooms displayed as they would have been in Cromwell’s time.

The City

It is said that Ely derives its name from ‘eel’ and ‘-y’, meaning island, an island where eels are. Ely is historically very marshy and rich in eels.

The city retains many historic buildings and winding shopping streets. There is a market on Thursday and Saturday each week. Ely is on the River Great Ouse and is popular boating area with a large marina.

Evensong at Ely Cathedral (time permitting).

Dinner at Slap Up Tandoori Restaurant (Indian cuisine!) on Ely Road near Cambridge.

After the day in Ely, we will have dinner at an excellent Indian restaurant, Slap Up Tandoori, where food can be ordered extremely mild (no spice) or spicy. Indian food is also a key part of the British experience!

June 7 – Sunday Morning

Worship at Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge

The first church recorded as Holy Trinity Cambridge was set beside the old Roman road and was nothing more than a small thatched and timbered building which burnt to ground in 1174. In 1189 a new Holy Trinity was built of hard stone.  It was to be a more worthy shrine so returning heroes of the crusades could worship in their medieval fashion.

In the Reformation and Post-Reformation Period, 1550-1750, Holy Trinity grew steadily.  In 1620 a series of sermons were preached “at 1 of the clocke” every Sunday and so many students began to desert Great St. Mary’s that Holy Trinity became off limits.

Between the years of 1782-1836, Holy Trinity Church was to be the center of spiritual revival in Cambridge. The key to this spiritual movement was minister at Holy Trinity: Charles Simeon. He ended his life as the best known “character” in Cambridge.  His preaching was biblical, compelling and fearless, with his declared aim being ‘to humble the sinner, exalt the Savior, and promote holiness.’  Simeon had a deep concern for Missions and raised up missionaries who helped start the Cambridge Missionary Society. Between 1873 and 1889 there were no less than 140 offers to the CMS from Cambridge men. In 1885 it was the famous “Cambridge Seven” whose going out to China did so much to stir Christian interests in Missions. Today evangelical worship and work still continue here.

Afternoon (2:30) — Walking Tour
Christian Heritage Society
The Round Church
Why is Cambridge such a world famous university? How is it associated with the Protestant Reformation, the founding of America, parliamentary government, the development of modern science and the abolition of the slave trade? This tour seeks to answer questions like this and introduce you to the people who helped shape Western civilization. You will see not just the city with its picturesque streets and lanes, but visit the colleges where people like Newton, Bacon, Cromwell and Wilberforce lived and studied.

Starting at the Round Church, formerly the Holy Sepulchre Church in the 12th century, our guide will lead us through St. John’s College and give us a passionate portrayal of William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson, and explain how their devotion to Christ emboldened them to take on the power structures of their day.

We will view Isaac Newton’s rooms at Trinity College, see the stone carvings of Erasmus and Harvey, hear explanations concerning the lasting influence of Lady Margaret, the far-reaching influence of Cambridge Puritanism, and the personal inspiration of Charles Simeon on Henry Martin.

Dinner at a Pub or restaurant in Cambridge.
June 8th – Back to London by bus. Time to tour the city on your own. Final night in London. Depart for US June 9th.

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Next week I am speaking at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. I’m singing a couple of songs too, but most of it will be me speaking about C S Lewis. They are holding a “Narnia Day” centered around the Prince Caspian exhibit they have there. Apparently there’s someone dressed up as Caspian, and some scenes from the movie rebuilt that you can walk around. So watch this space for a photo of me and Prince Caspian!

The day is for HomeSchoolers…so it will be fun to tell them about C S Lewis and what a hero he’s been to me. They also want me to tell stories about my time in Oxford and the different ways that C S Lewis ‘met’ me through the places he used to teach, live and hang out. Fun times!

Since Disney has dropped out of the future Narnia projects, I have wondered what they planned on doing with the “Journey into Narnia” attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.  But it seems they’re going to keep it around, at least through their events that will feature it.

If anyone goes, can you please submit a report about it?

Homeschool Days take place on January 12 and/or 13, 2009.

Thanks to Reggie for the link!

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The C.S. Lewis Foundation held its triennial 2 week major international conference, Oxbridge Summer Institute, from July 28th to August 11th at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England. About three hundred attendees from varied backgrounds gathered at Oxbridge for a time of fellowship and nourishment of mind, body, and spirit with renowned scholars from the arts and sciences, preachers, business professionals, and literary, visual, and performing artists. Throughout the two week institute these scholars, artists, and professionals addressed this year’s conference theme “The Self and the Search for Meaning” from unique perspectives.

In addition to dynamic teaching, attendees experienced grand artistic performances, including an evensong at the ancient and prestigious Ely Cathedral, a dramatic solo version of Lewis’s classic The Great Divorce by professional actor Tony Lawton, and a full scale orchestral performance with the Institute’s choir. Also offered was a guided tour of C.S. Lewis’ Oxford home, called the Kilns, which has been rebuilt and maintained by the C.S. Lewis Foundation and has now been converted to the C.S. Lewis study center.

Even if one did not participate in Oxbridge 2008, it is still possible to experience some of the great teaching and performances, because all sessions were recorded and will be appearing on the Oxbridge 2008 website within the next month. Furthermore, original papers read in the afternoon academic paper sessions will be submitted to the C.S. Lewis Foundation’s online journal, In Pursuit of Truth, with many expected to appear in upcoming journal issues. And watch for the next Oxbridge Summer Institute, expected in 2011!

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Music: Donald Swann
Libretto: David Marsh
Based on the book by C.S. Lewis

To be performed in its original, three-act version as a ‘theatrical oratorio’.

Place: Oxford, England
Dates: June 2009 (exact dates to be confirmed)

The performance run will be accompanied by a two-day international colloquium on PERELANDRA (book and opera).

Please visit this website regularly for news about the production and the colloquium, and for the announcement of a PERELANDRA art competition.

Join the Facebook Group The Perelandra Project for discussion and updates.

For more information, or to discuss ways of getting involved in the project, please contact the production team.

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The Oxford Oratory Church of St Aloysius, in Woodstock Road, is set to receive the windfall thanks to the generosity of Walter Hooper.

The church is launching a £3m appeal to carry out renovation work and build a new chapel and student accommodation.

Mr Hooper, 77, who lives in North Oxford, briefly worked as CS Lewis’s private secretary in 1963, shortly before the author’s death.

After Lewis’s death, Mr Hooper devoted himself to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe author’s memory and co-wrote the author’s biography, and edited his letters and diaries.

He said: “I have kept these books close to me all these years but when this appeal came up, I wanted to do something.

“In a way it will be a wrench to part with the books but in another way I’m glad, because they might do some good.

“CS Lewis gave away two thirds of his income and it was wonderfully liberating to see a man who did not seem to amass wealth at all – he really was a good man.”

Mr Hooper will retain a copy of Lewis’s poetry volume Spirits in Bondage, because he still finds inspiration from the verses.

Mr Hooper has donated 11 CS Lewis titles, including three signed first editions – The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, The Horse And His Boy and The Last Battle.

All 11 books are estimated to sell for up to £3,000 each at auction in London next month, with the hammer price boosted by the release today of the movie version of Prince Caspian. The books will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London on July 17.

This year marks the 110th anniversary of Lewis’s birth in Belfast on November 29, 1898.

Philip Berrington, books specialist for Sotheby’s, said: “With the film of Prince Caspian coming out, the timing for this auction couldn’t be better. The connection between Walter Hooper and CS Lewis makes these books very collectable.”

The Oxford Oratory was built in 1875. Redecoration will restore marble, stonework and stencilling of the original Victorian design.

A smaller chapel for Masses, pilgrimage groups and baptisms will be added, together with a small garden.

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• Filming on Prince Caspian and Dawn Treader Back to Back?

Imagine living in the same charming brick cottage where C.S. Lewis lived for most of his adult life, and also to:

· Grow in your own spiritual journey through lectures, discussion and reflection in the peaceful setting of The Kilns and around England

· Experience the historic settings of Lewis’ spiritual journey and conversion story, including Addison’s Walk at Magdalen College

· Feast on the fellowship and delightful offerings from the kitchen at The Kilns; take afternoon tea on the lawn beneath blossoming fruit trees; and find the perfect Cornish pasty at the Covered Market in Oxford

· Share this adventure among new friends eager to engage the times with a vibrant living faith

You’ll find all this and more at the Summer Seminars-in-Residence at The Kilns.

Act now to reserve your place at the table and to experience this unique opportunity!

Week I
July 5 – 11, 2008

Dr. Chris Mitchell Director, Marion E. Wade Center and Professor of Theology,
Wheaton College

Register Now!

Week II
July 13-19, 2008

Dr. Devin Brown Author and Professor of English,
Asbury College

Register Now!

For detailed seminar descriptions and registration information, please visit the Summer Seminar website or call toll-free 1-888-CSLEWIS.

For an unforgettable inside visit to the world of Lewis’ Oxford and Cambridge, this most uniqe program offers the definitive experience. You simply won’t want to miss it!

* Program details are subject to change.

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