C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien belonged to the Oxford literary group known as The Inklings.
The Inklings were an informal discussion group of writers and academics associated with the University of Oxford. Members met regularly to read aloud from works in progress, discuss literature, and exchange criticism. Lewis and Tolkien were among its best-known participants.
The group was active mainly from the 1930s until the early 1950s. Meetings took place in Oxford locations including college rooms and the Eagle and Child pub, which became popularly associated with the group. Charles Williams and Owen Barfield were also important members.
The Inklings were not an official society with a fixed membership or formal constitution. Their significance comes from the creative relationships and criticism that surrounded major works such as The Lord of the Rings and Lewis’s Narnia and space-travel books.