C. S. Lewis, long renowned for his children's book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been the subject of wide interest since he first stepped-up to the BBC's microphone during the Second World War. But why did this medievalist begin writing books for a popular audience, to the dismay of some of his colleagues at Oxford University? And why have these books continued to be so popular? Somehow, Lewis's books directed at children and middlebrow Christians have continued to resonate in the decades since his death in 1963.

In this talk, Dr. Derrick considers why this is the case, arguing that Lewis was just one actor among many shaping his lasting fame.

Dr. Stephanie L. Derrick is a historian of religion in the modern era, with a special interest in the intellectual and print cultures of British and American Christianity.  She also investigates the ways in which technology and globalization are shaping religious experience in the twenty-first century. She did her PhD in History at the University of Stirling (Scotland) and now lives in Los Angeles, California.