pacIfic inklings festival
Featured Event
What is the Pacific Inklings Festival?
The Pacific Inklings Festival (PIF) is the gathering of our entire Southern California C.S. Lewis Society. We meet in person at a common location, typically in the summertime, for our general meeting. We’ll take care of a bit of business, then get on with enjoying food, drink, guest speakers, and more.
PIF is named in honor of the original Inklings, who were fellow writers and friends of C.S. Lewis.
PIF 2025 Returns to Saint Andrew's Abbey.
PIF 2025 Countdown
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June 25 – June 27 2025
An Engaging Retreat for
Lovers of Lewis and Literature
St. Andrew’s Abbey
Discovering C. S. Lewis’s Library — The Enchanting and Sacramental Role of Books
Imagine stepping into Lewis’s study… volumes stacked, the scent of well-loved pages in the air. In this literary retreat, we’ll explore how books shaped Lewis’s mind, heart, and imagination — not just as a reader, but as a seeker of truth and joy.
Our guide through Lewis’s library is Dr. Roger White, Professor Emeritus at Azusa Pacific University, founding curator of the C. S. Lewis and Inklings Collection, and editor of C. S. Lewis and His Circle (Oxford University Press). He’ll lead us through the growth of Lewis’s personal library and offer insights into the sacramental role of reading in Lewis’s life and work.
In person retreat spaces are limited - Zoom & commuter options are available.
The retreat is open to the general public; non-members are welcome to attend.
St. Andrews has graciously provided several participation options. In addition to the entire retreat, they offer single-day commuter and Zoom options. Everything you need to know about accommodations, meals, and setting is on their website.
St. Andrews is the retreat organizer; please direct your questions to them and not the SCCSLS.
St. Andrew’s Abbey Retreat Office
Phone: (661) 944-2178
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: 8:30 am-5:00 pm
(Closed for Mass and lunch 11:45 am-1:30 pm)
The button below links directly to the retreat registration page.
St. Andrew’s Abbey
31001 N Valyermo Rd, Valyermo, CA 93563, United States
Photo of some of the original Inklings
When reflecting on the Inklings, Lewis said;
“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?” He added, “What I owe to them all is incalculable.”
Who Were The Inklings?
The Inklings were an informal group of writers, started by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. The group met weekly for 17 years during the 1930s and 40s. Members read and critiqued one another’s “works in progress.” In total, as many as 19 men cycled through the group.
They often held their meetings at a local pub called the “Eagle and The Child” – more often referred to as the “bird and the baby.” (pictured below).
Want to get to know the Inklings?
We have some resources for you.
A highly recommended book
Bandersnatch: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings. By Diana Pavlac Glyer, professor, Honors College of Azusa Pacific University.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26168976-bandersnatch
Christian History Magazine
An article in Christian History Magazine — The Inklings Surprised By Friendship