Colin Duriez (born 19 July 1947) is an English writer on

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

, especially that of

the Inklings The Inklings were an informal literary discussion group associated with J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis at the University of Oxford for nearly two decades between the early 1930s and late 1949. The Inklings were literary enthusiasts who prai ...

literary group centred around the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

authors

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 ...

and

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

Life and works

Colin Duriez was born in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

on 19 July 1947. He moved to

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

in 1983 to work with a small publisher, IVP, as a

commissioning editor In book publishing, a commissioning editor is essentially a buyer. It is the job of the commissioning editor to advise the publishing house on which books to publish. Usually the actual decision of whether to contract a book is taken by a senior m ...

. He took various teaching and editing jobs, and in 2002 he started his own business in

Keswick, Cumbria Keswick ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. It lies within the Lake District National Park, just north of Derwentwater an ...

, InWriting, devoted to writing, editorial services, and book acquisition for publishers. Duriez won the Clyde S. Kilby Award in 1994 for his research on the

Inklings The Inklings were an informal literature, literary discussion group associated with J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis at the University of Oxford for nearly two decades between the early 1930s and late 1949. The Inklings were literary enthusia ...

, the literary group that included

and

. He has been described as "the most ''useful'' scholar writing on Lewis today." He has published many books on

literary figures, and has spoken to literary, academic and professional groups. His television documentaries include ''A Quest for Meaning – Myth, Imagination & Faith in the Literature of J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis''. He lives in

Wallingford, Oxfordshire Wallingford () is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, north of Reading, south of Oxford and north west of Henley-on-Thames. Although belonging to the historic county of Berkshire, it ...

Reception

''Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Shadow of Evil''

Benjamin C. Parker, reviewing Duriez's ''Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Shadow of Evil'', writes that the strengths of the book include its thorough connection of Lewis's writings to earlier literature on the subject, and his setting of his thesis about the Inklings in terms of 21st century events and literature. Parker finds the analysis of issues related to Christianity "profound", and states that the book is accessible both to academics and the general public, with the more scholarly details relegated to endnotes.

''The Oxford Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien, and Their Circle''

Courtney Petrucci, reviewing ''The Oxford Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien, and Their Circle'', writes that the book's "great strength" is "its effective use of other Inklings' writings to give the reader a sense for what the group was like and how its most prominent members ewis, Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams (British writer)">Charles Williams">Owen Barfield">ewis, Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams (British writer)">Charles Williamswere understood" by the less-famous members. Petrucci finds the book remarkable in succeeding in balancing the coverage, offering fresh "insights and perspectives", and bringing out the complicated ideas that the Inklings discussed while telling the basic story of the group.

''Tolkien and C. S. Lewis'' and ''The Inklings Handbook''

John E. McKinley, in his review of the biography ''Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship'' and ''The Inklings Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Lives, Thought and Writings of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield and Their Friends'', writes that these are "excellent resources" for readers new to Tolkien and Lewis, and useful too to "devoted reader[s]" of their "imaginative and provocative writings". The biography is in McKinley's view unique in showing how the friendship between the two writers stimulated and inspired both of them "to write Christian mythology and apologetics". He adds that Duriez shows that both men were opposed to the "mechanization" of the modern age; both took "delight in imagination"; and both "embrace historic Christianity".

Books

Literary

* 1990 ''The C. S. Lewis Handbook'' (Monarch Publications/Baker Book House) * 1992 ''Tolkien and Middle-earth Handbook'' (Monarch Publications/Baker Book House/Angus & Robertson) * 2000 ''The C.S. Lewis Encyclopedia'' (Crossway) * 2001 (with David Porter) ''The Inklings Handbook'' (Azure/Chalice) * 2001 ''Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings: A Guide to Middle Earth'' (Azure/Hidden Spring) * 2006 ''The Poetic Bible'' (compiler) (SPCK) * 2007 ''The Unauthorised Harry Potter Companion'' (Sutton) * 2007 ''A Field Guide to Harry Potter'' * 2008 ''A Field Guide to Narnia'' * 2013 ''The A-Z of C.S. Lewis: An Encyclopedia of His Life, Thought and Writings'' (Lion Hudson) * 2015 (with Cindy Kiple) ''Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien and the Shadow of Evil'' (IVP Books)

Biography

* 2003 ''Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship'' (HiddenSpring) * 2005 ''The C.S. Lewis Chronicles'' (Darton Longman & Todd) * 2013 ''C.S. Lewis, A biography of friendship'' (Lion Books) * 2015 ''Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life'' (Crossway) * 2015 ''The Oxford Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien and their Circle'' (Lion Books) * 2018 ''J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend'' (Rydon) * 2020 ''Dorothy Sayers'' (Lion Hudson)

History

* 2008 ''AD 33: The Year That Changed the World'' (History Press)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duriez, Colin 1947 births Living people People from Long Eaton English writers Alumni of Ulster University Tolkien scholars Writers from Derbyshire