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TWU Professors Hilder, Pearson and Van Dyke publish a first-of-its kind volume exploring C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and other Inklings-related authors

Into a world reeling from political division and societal crises, seven famous nineteenth-and-twentieth century British authors speak timeless hope and wisdom.

The brilliance of these foremost Inklings authors — C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, their friend Dorothy L. Sayers, and their mentors George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton — has been captured in a newly released book, The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada. This volume published with Cambridge Scholars Publishing addresses all seven of the famous Inklings-related authors together, in a first-of-its kind collection. 

Trinity Western University professors Dr. Monika Hilder, Dr. Sara Pearson, and Dr. Laura Van Dyke are the co-editors of this collected work. Their volume features writings from twenty-seven renowned and emerging scholars and celebrates the work of the Inklings Institute of Canada since its inception in 2013.

Dr. Hilder is also co-founder and co-director of the Inklings Institute. She remarks, "We’re especially excited to have had the book published in 2020, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the publication of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This celebratory collection on a wide range of topics testifies to the increasing impact of these inspirational seven authors. Their voices speak powerfully to the needs of the twenty-first century."  

Dr. Pearson says, "I'm thrilled to have been part of working with so many amazing authors, and I learned a great deal about the Inklings while helping to edit these chapters. Although my primary research focus is nineteenth-century British literature, I love the Inklings-related authors, and delving into these topics was refreshing and renewing to my spirit."

Dr. Van Dyke comments that "it was a joy to work closely with my colleagues—and former professors!—Monika and Sara to put together this incredible collection of chapters, all of which were carefully selected for the insight they offer and the contribution they make to the field of Inklings Studies, an area of scholarship that is one of the particular strengths of the Department of English and Creative Writing at TWU."

TWU professors from various disciplines, along with graduates of Trinity Western’s MA in Interdisciplinary Humanities program, have also contributed their scholarship to this book. Contributors include:

Stephen Dunning, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Inklings Institute of Canada

Katharine Bubel, Assistant Professor of English

Jan Lermitte, Instructor of Leadership and English

Grant Havers, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy and Political Studies

Kevin Schut, Chair of the Department of Media + Communication, Professor of Media + Communication

Norm Klassen, former TWU English Department faculty

MAIH graduates and alumni: Ariel Little, Aaron Frede, Richard Bergen, Matthew Steem, Joy Steem (Katharine Bubel and Laura Van Dyke are also MAIH graduates)

Among the contributors are several renowned scholars, including Michael Ward, Senior Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall at University of Oxford; Crystal Downing and David C. Downing, co-directors of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College in Illinois; Dominic Manganiello, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Ottawa; Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, MacDonald scholar; and Matthew T. Dickerson, Lewis and Tolkien scholar and novelist.

The Inklings and Culture: A Harvest of Scholarship from the Inklings Institute of Canada is published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing and was recently released on December 1, 2020.


About Trinity Western University

Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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