''Boxen: The Imaginary World of the Young C. S. Lewis'' is a collection of stories created by

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...

("Jack") and his brother W. H. Lewis ("Warnie") as children. It was edited by Walter Hooper and first published posthumously by Collins May 28, 1985. The world of Boxen was created when Jack's stories about Animal-Land and Warnie's stories about India were brought together. In '' Surprised by Joy'', Jack explains that the union of Animal-Land and India took place "sometime in the late eighteenth century (their eighteenth century, not ours)". During a time when

influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

was ravaging many families, the Lewis brothers were forced to stay indoors and entertain themselves by reading. They read whatever books they could find, both those written for children and adults. Influenced by

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

's animals, C.S. Lewis wrote about Animal-Land, complete with details about its economics, politics/government, and history, as well as illustrations of buildings and characters. The first American edition was published by Harcourt Brace Javanovich, October 17, 1985 (republished as ''Boxen: Childhood Chronicles Before Narnia'').

References

20th-century British children's literature Fantasy worlds C. S. Lewis 1985 books William Collins, Sons books Books published posthumously {{Lit-stub