What was the name of C.S. Lewis’s informal literary group with J.R.R. Tolkien?

C.S. Lewis’s informal literary group with J.R.R. Tolkien was called The Inklings. The group met mainly at Oxford during the 1930s and 1940s, sharing and discussing works in progress, poetry, criticism, and theology.

The Inklings was not a formal society with a fixed membership list. Lewis and Tolkien were its best-known participants, while Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and Warren Lewis were also important members or regular associates. Meetings took place in Oxford rooms and at the Eagle and Child pub, known to members as the Bird and Baby.

The group is often described as a writing club, but its conversations ranged widely. Tolkien read portions of The Lord of the Rings to fellow members, while Lewis shared drafts and ideas connected with his own fiction and apologetics. The name “Inklings” was deliberately informal and suited the group’s interest in literary beginnings.