Today is the 49th anniversary of the death of Narnia author C.S. Lewis. One year from today, at Westminster Abbey, a service will take place during which a memorial stone to writer and author C.S. Lewis will be placed in Poet’s Corner. The Narnia author will join greats such as John Keats, William Blake, and T.S. Eliot in a ceremony that goes back 600 years.
Vernon White, Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey, said that Lewis was an “extraordinarily imaginative and rigorous thinker and writer.” Lewis, he said, “was able to convey the Christian faith in a way that made it both credible and attractive to a wide range of people.” He went on to say that Lewis “had an enduring and growing influence in our national life.”
Lewis is best remembered as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia, which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and been adapted for stage, TV and film.
There is a web site to make donations for the memorial. The Dean of the Abbey has given permission to erect a stone honoring C.S. Lewis, but it must be paid for with private donations. The estimated cost, including a two-day conference next November, is 20,000 sterling, which is north of $30,000, so everyone’s support is crucial. The site is http://lewisinpoetscorner.com/donate.php. Keep checking back, as they plan to have Paypal up soon.