Now We Have Faces: the First Annual C.S. Lewis Symposium at Ulster University


Keynote to be delivered by Dr Malcolm Guite


Rationale:

Like C.S. Lewis’s famous character Orual in Till We Have Faces, we have grown accustomed to wearing masks. But just as Orual was eventually able to shed her PPE, we are finally free to do the same! Now that we have faces again, it seems a fitting time to gather to discuss the multifaceted topic of C.S. Lewis: because no matter what Lewis wrote—children’s fiction, sci-fi, literary-criticism or apologetics—he was clear and concrete and personable. He brought big ideas down to earth and made them human and relatable; he gave them a kind of embodiment. So, we’re hosting C.S. Lewis Scholars—in person—to do the same: to take their latest research and to present it in a relatable way for an audience of fellow researchers, Lewis fans, and anyone interested in learning more about the work and world of C.S. Lewis. An interdisciplinary event, it will also feature Lewis-inspired art from artists working in various media.

Theme:

The three interlocking themes of the symposium are: C.S. Lewis and embodiment; C.S. Lewis and concreteness of expression; C.S. Lewis and the relationship of art to the natural world.

Call for Papers:

We invite proposals of up to 250 words for 20-minute papers on some aspect of the theme(s) mentioned; and we welcome broad interpretation of the theme(s) to suit individual research interests. The aim of the symposium is to bring together Lewis researchers and artists working in various media— in person—to explore and elucidate what Lewis and his work might have to teach us about the values of embodiment, of concreteness, and of nature in an increasingly disembodied, abstract, virtual-minded world that is now emerging from pandemic.

Email proposals to: White-C36@ulster.ac.uk by 5pm 05 September 2022