Preview of CS Lewis Festival (20-23 November): walks, talks, crafts, films & documentaries

Fifty one years after the death of CS Lewis, interest in the Belfast-born author is still high and this year’s CS Lewis Festival offers a packed weekend of events for adults and children between 20-23 November (PDF version of programme).

Thursday 20 November

Narnia Breakfast / Park Avenue Hotel / 8.30am-9.30am / Free / Join guest speakers Stephen Williams and Trevor Gillian for a “Narnia-themed breakfast” as they discuss “Lewis’ life and beliefs and his relevance today”. Places need to be booked by emailing heather AT eastbelfastpartnership dot org or phoning 028 9046 7925

CS Lewis – the Bigger Picture / Strand Church, Connsbrook Avenue / 7.30pm-9pm / Free – no booking required / The two experts are back with a longer session on Thursday evening. Booking required.

Friday 21 November

CS Lewis and the Great War / Ulster Hall / 1pm-2pm / Free / On his nineteenth birthday, CS Lewis arrived at the front line in the Somme Valley. Sandy Smith will “unfold the story of Lewis and his war-time comrade Paddy Moore”.

Children might want to drag their parents along to:

Aslan Masks Workshop / Belmont Tower / drop in between 1pm and 4pm / Free.

Doodlebugs Creative Workshop / Framewerk, 10 Upper Newtownards Road / drop in between 5pm and 7pm / Free – must book / Make your favourite CS Lewis character “move and groove around the iconic Narnia lamp post”.

The Man, the Myth and the Wardrobe / Strand Arts Centre / 6.30pm-7.30pm / Free – must book / Watch Moore Sinnerton’s BBC NI documentary, delving underneath the revered reputation and image of the author.

Saturday 22 November

CS Lewis Storytelling / Holywood Arches Library / drop in between 10.30am and 1pm / Free / Sit back on the bean bags and listen to a skilled Young At Art storyteller read some of CS Lewis’ work.

CS Lewis Nearly True Walking Tour / meeting at Campbell College / 12.30pm until 2.15pm / £3, family ticket £10 / A blend of historical fact with hysterical fiction as ‘Nearly True’ George guides you around the school on a colourful comic journey mingling fake facts with true stories. Dress for inclement weather! Repeated at noon on Sunday 23.

An Evening With CS Lewis / Campbell College / 8pm-10pm / £10 / In association with David Payne Drama join CS Lewis and a group of American writers at his home in Oxford as he recalls the people and events that inspired his thought and shaped his life.

Sunday 23 November

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe / Strand Arts Centre / 2pm and 5pm / Free / Screening of the 2005 film. Update – SOLD OUT

The Narnia Code / Strand Arts Centre / 8pm-9.45pm / Free – must book / I’m not too sure what to make of the title of this event and the promise, but researcher Michael Ward will walk the audience through “the complex spiritual symbolism and ancient cosmology underpinning the Narnia stories” and “tracking down the ‘secret imaginative key’ to Lewis’ masterpiece”.

During the festival, yarn bomber Redhead Thread will be creating CS Lewis-themed artwork around East Belfast. And you can pick up a CS Lewis trail to follow from the East Belfast Partnership Offices (278-280 Newtownards Road) or download one from the Community Greenway website (along with similar trails for Van Morrison, the Yardmen and George Best).

Nearly all events – including the free ones – require advance booking. More information available on the CS Lewis festival website, Facebook page  and Twitter feed.