Schedule:

8:30 a.m - 3:00 p.m: Saturday Seminar with Sarah Arthur, Sophfronia Scott, and Léna Roy
Location: Great Lakes Center for the Arts

From Reader to Reluctant Convert: The Role of Imagination in C. S. Lewis’s Journey to Faith – Sarah Arthur
In his memoir Surprised by Joy, Lewis narrated his conversion from atheism to Christianity as a series of conscious, individual decisions. While accepting Lewis’s account, Sarah also considers the nature of conversion more broadly, including the influence of faith communities, the role of the imagination, and the presence of divine grace–in Lewis’s journey and our own.

Sophfronia Scott Festival Speaker
Of Solitude and Spiritual Friendships: How a Non-Traditional Monk’s Life Shaped the Writing of Thomas Merton – Sophfronia Scott
Though Merton craved the solitude of a hermitage and the silence in which “God shines there and is immediately found,” his mysticism and writing life were deeply fed and influenced by relationships he developed both in person and through a prolific correspondence that connected him to writers and spiritual thinkers all over the world. Sophfronia will discuss how these dual and often contradictory aspects of his Trappist existence shaped Merton and perhaps led to his famous 4th and Walnut epiphany and his prophetic writings on peace, justice, and civil rights that resonate to this day.

Lena Roy Festival Speaker
Creativity as Incarnation: Madeleine L’Engle and Writing Towards Hope – Léna Roy
Madeleine believed in the transformative power of art and therefore felt a strong responsibility to write stories, poems, and memoirs with arcs that bring positivity and hope. She struggled with anger, fear, and cynicism, yet it was through the merging of her writing and faith that she found her authenticity. Léna explores Madeleine’s development from poet to playwright to novelist to lay theologian, while meditating on Madeleine’s influence on Léna’s own writing and teaching. She asks: what is our responsibility – and joy – as writers and creative spiritual seekers?

4:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m: Book Signing with Sarah Arthur, Sophfronia Scott, Léna Roy, and Charlotte Jones Voiklis
Location: McLean & Eakin Booksellers
All four featured speakers and authors will greet readers and sign copies of their various books. This event is free and open to the public. Visit McLean & Eakin’s website for more information.

6:00 p.m: C.S. Lewis House Band Performance
Location: Beards Brewery
Enjoy camaraderie, live music, and victuals at Downtown Petoskey’s favorite brewery overlooking the Little Traverse Bay. Festival Board Member and accomplished musician Curt Coffield will preside over the Root Cellar Stage, with additional musicians performing as part of the C.S. Lewis House Band with songs inspired by Lewis. This event is open to all; food and drink not provided by the C.S. Lewis Festival.