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FOR THE STORYTELLER,
THE SCHOLAR, AND
THE CHILD IN EVERYONE
For an institute that honors thoughtful and prayerful engagement with culture, there are perhaps no better modern examples of this than the literary friends known as The Inklings. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield created imaginative and deeply sacramental works like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings that are still shaping culture in profound ways, more than half a century after they were written. If we want to further culture the way they continue to do, we have to follow in their footsteps and this means not only learning together, but having a lot of fun, too.
This year's Inklings Festival features a lot of new programs from the Institute!
Check out what we have to offer below or click below to jump to the full festival schedule.
2026 FEATURED INKLING
G.K. Chesterton
G.K. Chesterton was not just an enormous influence for C.S. Lewis and other Inklings, but a larger-than-life personality in all senses of the word. His indomitable cunning and enduring childlike wonder, combined with his searing humility, makes him a hard person to argue with and a true beacon of light for Christians then and now.
G.K. Chesterton emulates the heart of the Inklings Festival so naturally it's hard to believe we haven't featured him before now...but we are so excited to share him with you this year!
The Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton
“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
“Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.”
“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.”
2026 FEATURED PRESENTERS
ALL FEATURED PRESENTATIONS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
2026 Featured Inklings Lecturer
Landon Loftin, PhD
Friday, October 23, 2026 6pm
"G.K. Chesterton and the Paradoxes of Pragmatism"
Saturday, October 24, 2026 11am
"Hume's Faith and Chesterton's Doubt"
Landon Loftin (PhD Faulkner University) teaches for Gravitas: A Global Extension of The Stony Brook School and The University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne. In addition to regular contributions to academic journals, his publications include an introduction to the work of Owen Barfield called What Barfield Thought and an edited collection of essays called Chesterton and the Philosophers. On the basis of What Barfield Thought, Landon was named co-recipient of the Owen Barfield Literary Estate's Award of Excellence. Though he now lives in Missouri, he grew up in Wichita and is confident that Eighth Day Books is the greatest bookstore in America.
2026 Featured Poet
Christine Perrin
Friday, October 23, 2026 7:30pm
"Poetry Reading, Dark Gospel: Figure of Descent"
Christine Perrin is the author of Bright Mirror and Art of Poetry. She has taught in various roles at Messiah University for twenty-five years and at Gordon College in Orvieto, Italy. With Christopher Perrin she has three children and five grandchildren, and she is the godmother of eight.
"Christine Perrin’s poetry takes us by the hand and walks with us down into the dark places we all experience—where pain, loneliness, and fear abide. But in these elegantly wrought poems we also discover that it is also in darkness where life begins—and hope and perhaps even redemption."
-Gregory Wolfe, Slant Books
2026 Featured Storyteller
Clare Vanderpool
Saturday, October 24, 2026 6pm
"Fiction Reading with Clare Vanderpool"
Clare Vanderpool is the award-winning author of two novels, Moon Over Manifest and Navigating Early. Moon Over Manifest, her debut novel, was awarded the prestigious 2011 John Newbery Award, the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Clare’s books have both hit the New York Times best seller list as well as the Book Sense best seller list. Interviews with Clare have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and almost all of the media outlets across the nation have covered her writing career. Clare has been making appearances at schools, libraries, and conferences around the country and abroad. She lives in Wichita, Kansas in the same zip code where she grew up.
2026 SPECIAL PROGRAMS
A new program, aiming to renew culture where culture begins: in the family.
Study creative writing with a Newberry Award-winning author and workshop your story-in-progress like a real member of the Inklings.
INKLINGS FESTIVAL FINALE!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2026 1-6 PM
All-Ages Fun to Celebrate the Inklings and Eighth Day Books
Live Music with Charlie Wilks and Jack Korbel Confluence
NEW! Special Inklings Theatre Performance from Christian Performance Theatre
Fantasy Map Drawing Contest
NEW! Inklings Costume Contest
Local Food and Drink, including Hard Cider from Meadowlark Farms
Early Registration: $15 for Individuals, $25 for Families
At the Door: $25 for Individuals, $35 for Families
2026 Inklings Festival t-shirts, featuring original artwork by Eighth Day Books' Patrick McKenzie, will be available for sale at the festival, but you can snag yours for a discounted rate when you register for any of our events below.
2026 Inklings Festival Schedule
Friday, October 23
6-7 pm - Keynote Lecture 1: “Chesterton and the Paradoxes of Pragmatism”, Landon Loftin
7:30-8:30 pm - Christine Perrin Poetry Reading (from Dark Gospel, by Eighth Day Press)
Saturday, October 24
9-10 am - Family Book Club: Navigating Early (Free Registration Required)
11 am-12 pm - Keynote Lecture 2: "Hume's Faith and Chesterton's Doubt,” Landon Loftin
1-4 pm - Storytelling Workshop with Clare Vanderpool (Registration Required)
6-7 pm - Storyteller Reading with Clare Vanderpool
7 pm-close - Eighth Day Anniversary Party
Sunday, October 25 -
Inklings Festival Finale (Registration Required)
1-6 pm Eighth Day Books Anniversary Sale, Local Food, Drink, Vendors
1:30-2:30 pm Live Music w/ Charlie Wilks
3-3:30 pm Special Inklings Performance from Christian Performance Theatre
4 pm Fantasy Map Drawing and Costume Contest Winners Announced
4:30-5:30 Live Music w/ Jack Korbel Confluence
