C. S. Lewis is one of the major figures of twentieth-century children’s literature and Christian apologism, so we’ve gathered together our five favourite interesting facts about Lewis and his work. Some of the interesting facts about C. S. Lewis that follow touch upon his friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien; these may be known to diehard fans of the ‘Inklings’ (of whom more below), but we hope that some facts will be news to even devoted fans of C. S. Lewis’s work.
Children’s Literature
Guest Blog: Lewis Carroll and His Sisters
By Chris Evers In August 1868, the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, took a lease on a house called ‘The Chestnuts’ in Guildford, close by the town’s castle. His seven sisters were about to be made homeless. Their father, the Rector of Croft-on-Tees in Yorkshire, had died, and … Read more
Five Fascinating Facts about Harry Potter
We included Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in our pick of the top ten best children’s novels ever written. J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series changed the face of children’s literature and became a cultural phenomenon, so in honour of the series, here are our five favourite facts about J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Even if you’re … Read more
Guest Blog: Five Fascinating Facts about Frances Hodgson Burnett
In this special guest post, Harriet Devine from Shiny New Books looks at the author of children’s classic The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett… 1. Frances was born near Manchester, England. Her father was a successful ironmonger, but her family fell on hard times after his death when she was only three. They had to adopt a … Read more
Five Fascinating Facts about Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was born on this day in 1916, so we’ve taken the opportunity to raise a glass of burgundy (apparently one of Dahl’s favourite drinks – see below) to the man who gave us Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, Matilda, The BFG, and so many more classic books. Here are five of our favourite interesting … Read more