events

An Inklings Week in Oxford
St. Aldates Church
Oxford, England
Sunday evening, July 14 - Friday evening, July 19, 2013

Registration Form (.pdf)

In the fiftieth anniversary year of the death of C. S. Lewis and the fortieth anniversary year of the death of J. R. R. Tolkien, join us in Oxford as we celebrate their contribution to faith and culture. Major Tolkien and Lewis scholars will join those who knew these men as we explore the great themes that Lewis and Tolkien explored which have continuing significance for a world in ruins.

Morning Sessions

Morning sessions will be held at St. Aldates Church, situated in its own grounds between Pembroke College, where Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and most of The Lord of the Rings, and Christ Church, where Dorothy L. Sayers' father was a member when she was born. Our plenary speakers will include Michael Ward, Walter Hooper, Alister McGrath, Colin Duriez, Fong Choon Sam, and Gerald Bray.

Afternoons in Oxford

The afternoons will be given over to relishing all that Oxford offers. Discover the town that fueled the imaginations behind Narnia and Middle Earth. Visit the colleges where the Inklings taught and thought. Walk the gardens and stroll the river paths. Visit the museums and the book stores. Then go punting on the same river where Jack Lewis spent time in his undergraduate days, and where Rattie and Mole went boating near Toad Hall.

Evenings in Oxford

The evenings we will provide the opportunity experience the cultural feast available in Oxford as Lewis, Tolkien, and the Inklings did with a variety of concerts and plays. Orchestral concerts, Shakespearean plays, and more fill the summer evenings.

Eating in Oxford

The most important of all social occasions is the meal, and the Inklings certainly did their best to make the most of it, as might be expected of Hobbits. Eat at the favorite haunts of the Inklings, and at some new additions to the Oxford far since their time. And don't miss the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream!

Registration

Pre-registration will open on September 1, 2012

Tour Package

For those who prefer not to make their own travel plans, we have arranged a tour package with Dehoney Travel that includes airfare, accommodations in four star hotels, plus two days in London and afternoon excursions to Stratford, Cambridge, Bath, and Salisbury/Stonehenge for those who would like to see the literary sites the Inklings loved. View Full Details