Author, Academician. He received world-wide acclaim as a English author in the 20th century, excelling in not only in adult books but became an award-winning children's author. Born Clive Staples Lewis in Belfast, Ireland, he was the second son of Albert and Flora Lewis. His mother died when he was nine. Lewis escaped this childhood tragedy by creating imaginary worlds and immersing himself in such classics as "The Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights." A few years after his mother's death, he would attend Cherbourg School in England; it was there that he began to develop a fondness for the ancient myths and music of Europe that would play apart in his fiction in later years. He also claimed to have originally abandoned his Christian faith at that time. He entered Oxford University in 1916, but by 1917 had enlisted in the British Army to serve in World War I. After the war, he returned to Oxford where he received degrees in Greek and Latin Literature, Philosophy and Ancient History, and English. In the years that would follow, he would work as a tutor at Oxford, then eventually as a fellow at Magdalen College then a fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge. In September of 1931, Lewis would return to Christianity after soul searching with his friends JRR Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. His relationship with Tolkien and Dyson would also lead to the founding of The Inklings, a group of University Dons who came together to discuss their works. Lewis would share with them many of his works of theology including "Pilgrims Regress," "The Screwtape Letters," and the drafts of lectures that would eventually become "Mere Christianity." Lewis also turned his hand to fiction. He wrote science fiction novels, which included "Out of the Silent Planet," "Perlandra," and "That Hideous Strength." The character of Ransom in the first two of these works was based on his friend Tolkien. His other works of fiction include "Till We Have Faces," which was a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, and the internationally beloved children's classics, "The Chronicles of Narnia". In 1956 he was the recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Literature in children's books, for his book "The Last Battle," which was the last of his seven Narnia books and has been compared to the Apostle John's Book of Revelation in the Bible. The Carnegie Medal is the oldest and most prestigious award offered for children's books in England. In the early 1950's, Lewis' work would come to attention of American poet, Joy Davidsman Gresham. She and Lewis would develop a correspondence and friendship that led to Mrs. Gresham visiting England in 1952. After her marriage failed, he helped her establish herself in England, including marrying her to help her gain British citizenship. Their relationship deepened over time. By 1957, after Joy was diagnosed with cancer, Lewis publicly acknowledge their marital relationship. Joy's subsequent death in 1960 led him to write one of his most famous works "A Grief Observed," an account of his emotional turmoil. Lewis would die three years later on the same day as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States.