What if the key to saving the world was hidden beneath a trapdoor in your neighbour’s back yard?
At an upcoming TWU Inklings Institute of Canada book launch, readers will meet Suzy—a young heroine whose adventures begin with something as unlikely as a magical turnip, but perhaps not so unlikely for those familiar with Slavic folktales.
Suzy’s story is authored by Dr. Stephen M. Dunning, who taught English at TWU for many years. Together with colleagues in the Department of English & Creative Writing, Dr. Dunning helped establish the Inklings Institute of Canada, now in its 12th year of fostering Christian literary scholarship.
Housed at TWU, the Inklings Institute is a scholarly community dedicated to studying and extending the legacy of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their literary circle. Dr. Dunning continues to serve as a co-director of the Institute, along with English professor Dr. Monika B. Hilder.
Taking up the craft
It was in response to a challenge delivered at the end of a documentary on C.S. Lewis that Dr. Dunning first took up the craft of book writing, deciding to continue in the vein he started by telling stories to his grandchildren over many years. He has now penned a series of imaginative novels for young adults, though adults too have confessed to enjoying them.
"Writing these books taught me a great deal about the process of creation, the foremost being that I was not entirely in charge of things."
A new saga
Like the Inklings who inspired him, Dunning weaves faith, myth, and imagination into a sweeping epic. His new book, Suzy and the Magic Turnip, is the first volume of The Perilous Times Saga that follows Suzy, along with her friends, into strange and dangerous worlds. The second book, Suzy and the City of the Plain, is close to being released, while a third installment, Suzy and the Time of Changes, is already complete in draft form. He has also published Trolls on Mars: A Love Story under the playful pen name Justan Thyme.
Though originally written with his grandchildren in mind, Dr. Dunning’s books quickly expanded in scope. The Suzy series moves from adventure to self-discovery, tackling questions of good and evil, suffering and hope, and of how to find meaning in perilous times. Readers encounter not only magic turnips and extraordinary characters, but also otherworldly dangers, moral dilemmas, and glimpses of redemption.
In Dr. Dunning’s own words, “Writing these books taught me a great deal about the process of creation, the foremost being that I was not entirely in charge of things. Characters would show up uninvited and things would happen seemingly of their own volition. It was my job to try to make sense of it all.”
The book launch will take place at Trinity Western University on Sept. 18. The event will highlight the first two Suzy novels along with Trolls on Mars: A Love Story. For more details, please visit the event page.
About the author
S. M. Dunning—a lifelong devotee of myths, faerie tales, and epic adventures—taught young adult and fantasy literature as a college and university professor of English for many years. His imagination was initially stimulated and then shaped by the Oxford Inklings. He has a PhD in English Literature from Cambridge University, which he attended as a Commonwealth Scholar. Dunning is based in B.C., where he is currently a resident of Chilliwack after having lived for many years in Abbotsford. Learn more about the author on his website.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students for life. Uniting faith and reason through Christian teaching and scholarship, TWU is a research institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities and sciences as well as in several professional schools. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.
Image by anotherxlife on Unsplash.