This article was written by Karen Millar
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Literary Oxford
Oxford, the "City of Dreaming Spires", is undoubtedly one of the jewels in England's crown. Its striking mix of architectural styles, academic atmosphere, and peaceful gardens and river walks make it the perfect place to pause and view England as it was meant to be. But for the literary traveler, Oxford is more than just "Olde England", it is a true gem, and at just forty-five minutes from London by train, it is an absolute must-see.
Oxford's literary links (both real and fictional) are numerous, and stretch back over many years. The city and its neighboring villages are home to a number of contemporary literary greats such as Booker prize-winner Ian McEwan, crime writer Colin Dexter, and travel writer Redmond O'Hanlon. The Sunday Times sponsored the Oxford Literary Festival. It takes place each year in March, and internationally acclaimed authors regularly give talks in various places around the city. The colleges that comprise the University of Oxford also boast an impressive literary alumni list: Graham Greene studied at Balliol College (whilst in Oxford, he regularly wrote in student magazines, and was an editor of The Oxford Outlook); Magdalen College counts Oscar Wilde and C.S. Lewis as former students, and the university as a whole includes J.R.R. Tolkien, T.S. Elliot, Aldous Huxley, and Nobel Laureates William Golding and Sir Vidia S. Naipaul to name but a few, as former students. All will have walked the cobbled streets of Cornmarket, drank in the numerous nearby watering holes, and found inspiration in the heart of the city itself.
Yet in amongst the role call of such literary stalwarts (some critically, others publicly acclaimed), one name, arguably Oxford's most famous and enduring literary progeny, will strike a chord with everyone regardless of age, nationality or literary preferences; former University of Oxford student and lecturer of almost thirty years, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland author the Rev Charles L. Dodgson - better known as Lewis Carroll.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was a mathematician, Anglican clergyman, logician, keen amateur photographer and most famously, a writer. Born at Daresbury, Cheshire, in 1832, he was the eldest son, and third of eleven children. Educated first at Richmond Grammar School and then Rugby School, in 1854 he graduated with honors in mathematics from Christ Church College, Oxford and began lecturing under the Christ Church Mathematical Lectureship a position he held for the next twenty-six years. He created his pen name by translating his first two names (Charles Lutwidge) into Latin, Carolus Lodovicus, then anglicizing it, and switching the names around to form Lewis Carroll.
It was whilst lecturing at Christ Church that he was introduced to Henry Liddell, who arrived to take up the position of Dean, and to Liddell's wife and children. On meeting the family, Dodgson was instantly charmed by Liddell's daughters Lorina, Edith, and in particular, Alice, and it was Alice Liddell who would soon become the inspiration for his most famous work.
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