New documentary to explore The Chronicles of Narnia author C.S. Lewis' Belfast roots

A new RTÉ documentary exploring the life of The Chronicles of Narnia author C.S. Lewis has been announced.

The Lion, The Witch and the Ulsterman, and will air on Thursday, October 8 at 10.15 pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

The programme will be presented by former Irish rugby international and theology graduate Andrew Trimble. It will examine Lewis' early upbringing in Belfast and his Ulster-Scots background.

The feature will  explore why the author is not more widely recognised as an Irish writer, and will uncover how growing up in Ireland had a significant impact on his life and work.

Trimble will visit Lewis's family home in East Belfast, and will assess how the trauma of being forced to flee Belfast as a child affected him for the rest of his life. He will also explain how this event inspired his book series The Chronicles of Narnia.

Trimble will travel to Oxford in the documentary, where Lewis spent most of his adult life. He was a scholar as well as a novelist, specialising in Medieval literature. He also worked as a broadcaster for the BBC from 1941-1944.

Using extracts from The Chronicles of Narnia and Lewis' autobiography, Surprised by Joy, the programme will illustrate his strong sense of Irish identity, and how his love of Ireland tied into his writing.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Ulsterman will feature contributions from historian Dr Margaret O’Callaghan; writer Jan Carson; historian and broadcaster Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, and Lewis scholars Dr Frank Ferguson, Rev Dr Reggie Weems and Dr David Clare.

Andrew Trimble shares his thoughts on the documentary:

"C.S. Lewis is one of those rare writers whose work continues to resonate across generations. As a father, I’ve seen first-hand the joy that The Chronicles of Narnia brings to my own children, and that made this documentary particularly special for me.

"What surprised me most was the depth of Lewis’s connection to Belfast and the lasting influence the city had on his life and imagination. As a fellow Belfast man, I was proud to explore his remarkable story and shine a light on the Irish roots of a writer whose work has inspired millions around the world."