Today I want to share my enthusiasm for a book that combines my love of literature, history, creativity, and even archives. It’s called Bandersnatch: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings.

Diana Pavlac Glyer is an expert on the Inklings, the group of famous writers in Oxford, England, who met regularly to share their works-in-progress. Her scholarship focuses specifically on how the Inklings collaborated and influenced one another.

Glyer first published the academic book The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community, then adapted it as Bandersnatch for a lay audience, especially those working on creative endeavors.

In the 169 pages of Bandersnatch Glyer explores the writing processes of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the other Inklings. Chapters focus on topics such as praise, criticism, feedback, and collaboration.

The writing style is reminiscent of an English essay, with clear topic sentences and transitions from point to point, each backed up with examples and quotations. Glyer has clearly done her research!

A bonus in this book is the inclusion of suggestions for emulating the Inklings, which appear at the end of each chapter. After finishing the book I was left with the desire to find a writing group or try collaborating on a project. I was also inspired by Glyer’s introduction where she explains the sleuthing she did in primary sources to find out whether the Inklings really did influence one another’s writings.

In short, Bandersnatch reminded me of my love for both research and writing. I recommend it to anyone interested in Lewis and Tolkien’s relationship or looking for encouragement in the writing life.

P.S. You might also be interested in C.S. Lewis’s philosophy of writing for children.

P.P.S. I’ve linked up with Modern Mrs. Darcy; check out this post to see what others have been reading lately.