This site has been replaced with a new and, we hope, improved one at "charleswilliamssociety.org.uk".
Charles Williams is probably best known, to those who have heard of him, as a leading member (albeit for a short time) of the Oxford literary group, the "Inklings", whose chief figures were C. S.Lewis and J. R. R Tolkien. He was, however, a figure of enormous interest in his own right: a prolific author of plays, fantasy novels (strikingly different in kind from those of his friends), poetry, theology, biography and criticism.
He worked nearly all his life for the Oxford University Press, also lecturing extensively on English literature for evening institutes and latterly for Oxford University. Much of his critical writing grew out of this activity. His seven novels appeared from 1930 onwards; unlike much fantasy fiction, they deal not with imaginary magical worlds but with the irruption of supernatural elements into everyday life. A legal officer has bequeathed to him the original set of Tarot cards; the investigation of a murder in a publisher's office merges with the rediscovery of the Holy Grail; the ghost of a girl killed in an accident helps thwart a plot for world domination....
His later poetry, which he considered his main work, included a number of striking plays (Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury was the next Canterbury Festival commission after Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral) and two volumes of poems on themes connected with the Arthurian cycle, Taliessin through Logres (1938) and The Region of the Summer Stars (1944) (since republished, together with earlier verses, in Arthurian Poems. edited by D. L. Dodds (1991)).
A few quotations may give some idea of his mind and style.He was perhaps the most original lay theologian of the century (his chief books in this field being The Descent of the Dove, "a history of the Holy Spirit in the Church"(1939), and He Came Down From Heaven(1938)). Above all, he was passionately interested in the ways in which romantic love can be a key to understanding our relationship with God. This vision blended with his critical work in his great study of Dante, The Figure of Beatrice (1943), which inspired Dorothy L. Sayers to translate the "Divine Comedy" into English. A collection of his shorter writings, covering a wide range of his interests, was edited by Anne Ridler, with a biographical introduction, and published by the Oxford University Press in 1958 as The Image of the City. Studies of Williams have been produced by e.g. A. M. Hadfield, Glen Cavaliero, Stephen Dunning, and M. M. Shideler. A full-scale biography by Dr Grevel Lindop is in course of preparation.
Another site for those interested in Williams, though not connected with this Society, is the "Web of Exchange" (www.coinherence.faithweb.com). A few others may be found on "Nebula Search" - though some of these relate to other Charles Williamses!
Here is a link to a more detailed biography of Charles Williams.
The Society is a registered charity, and a member of the Alliance of Literary Societies.
The Society meets three times a year, and publishes The Charles Williams Quarterly, which normally includes the papers delivered at the meetings. (A sample article appears on another page of this site.)It also occasionally has short residential conferences, the most recent having taken place on June 18th/20th, 2004. It maintains a lending and reference library. The subscription is £12.50 a year (£20 for joint members; concessionary rates are also available).
To download an application form, click here; forms and other information are available from the Secretary.