Collection: C. S. Lewis

C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis (pen names Clive Hamilton, N. W. Clerk) was one of the most influential literary figures of the twentieth century. A scholar, Christian thinker, and imaginative writer, his work spans fiction, theology, literary criticism, autobiography, poetry, and essays, shaping readers from childhood onward. ...

Lewis is best known today as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, but his body of work extends far beyond children’s literature, encompassing novels, criticism, philosophy, and devotional writing that reached a wide public.

He was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien and a prominent member of the Inklings, the informal Oxford literary group whose members met regularly to read aloud and discuss works in progress. Through these meetings, Lewis heard early drafts of The Lord of the Rings, while Tolkien and others responded to Lewis’s own fiction and essays.

This collection at Sancho’s Rare Books brings together books written by and about C. S. Lewis, with a particular emphasis on first editions, early printings, and important or desirable editions.

It includes key works such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, Surprised by Joy, Till We Have Faces, and the Space Trilogy, alongside lesser-known titles, lectures, pamphlets, and collections of essays. The collection also features first or early appearances in print of well-known sermons and lectures.

Alongside Lewis’s own writing, the collection includes biographical studies, memoirs, criticism, and contemporary responses exploring his life, friendships, and intellectual development.

Works by figures such as Walter Hooper, George Sayer, and Roger Lancelyn Green shed light on Lewis’s academic career, his role within the Inklings, and his long-standing friendship with Tolkien, as well as the personal experiences that shaped his writing and thought.