C.S. Lewis published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950.
The novel appeared in London on 16 October 1950 and became the first-published book in The Chronicles of Narnia. It introduces the Pevensie children, the land of Narnia, the White Witch, and Aslan. Although it is often read first, Lewis later arranged the series’ internal chronology so that The Magician’s Nephew comes before it.
The book’s publication order and story chronology are therefore not identical. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe remains the best-known entry point because it was the first Narnia book released and establishes the setting and principal conflict. Pauline Baynes illustrated the original editions, and the book quickly became a major children’s fantasy classic. Its wardrobe portal, talking animals, and enchanted winter have made it one of Lewis’s most recognizable works.