What subject did C.S. Lewis hold a Cambridge professorship in?

C.S. Lewis held a Cambridge professorship in Medieval and Renaissance English.

In 1954, Lewis became the first holder of the newly established chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He held the position until his death in 1963.

The appointment reflected his scholarly reputation as a literary historian and critic, not simply his fame as a Christian writer or children’s novelist. His academic work covered medieval allegory, Renaissance literature, poetry, and the development of English literary traditions.

The Cambridge appointment is often confused with Lewis’s much longer Oxford career. He taught at Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1925 until 1954, then moved to Cambridge while continuing to maintain strong connections with Oxford. Cambridge’s Magdalene College is also easily confused with Oxford’s Magdalen College; the names are related historically but refer to separate colleges at different universities.