The Second Annual CS Lewis Symposium at Ulster University

To be held 13-14 November 2023, UU Coleraine (Northern Ireland).

*This is an in-person event; we do not, at present, have the tools to enable virtual participation

PLEASE NOTE: this is a public-facing symposium, and papers should be scholarly but also relatable for a non-specialist, university educated audience. Just as Lewis himself could translate abstruse ideas into clear, concrete language accessible to thoughtful people, we are seeking papers written in this same spirit: put simply, we are looking for papers that are both scholarly and accessible in equal measure.

Rationale:

This two-day, public-facing academic symposium aims to examine CS Lewis in the light of his influence upon 20th & 21st century writers— those working in genres as varied as children’s fiction, sci-fi, literary and cultural criticism, popular apologetics, and even poetry. The central organising metaphor for the event is that of genealogy—the passing down to successive generations of the essences, qualities and characteristics which one inherits. Drawing upon this central metaphor, we will examine both the way in which Lewis was shaped by his own set of literary influences, and how he transmitted (and transmuted) these influences, through his own work, to writers throughout the world—in a way which almost recalls T.S. Eliot’s description of literary communion in ‘Tradition and the Individual Talent’. Our hope is that this ‘Janus-like’ approach—looking simultaneously back to Lewis’s ‘forbears’, and forward to his ‘sons and daughters’— will offer scholars working in diverse areas of Lewis research ample opportunity to carve out topics suited to their own interests.


Call for Papers:

We invite proposals of up to 250 words for 20-minute papers on some aspect of our theme. Submissions are welcome from scholars at every career stage, from ECR to well-established. Please include a brief bio with submission.


Email proposals to: White-C36@ulster.ac.uk by 5pm 04 September 2023