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

C.S. Lewis’s Oxford discussion group with J.R.R. Tolkien was called the Inklings. The group was an informal circle of writers and scholars who met to read and discuss works in progress.

The Inklings were active mainly during the 1930s and 1940s. Lewis and Tolkien were among the best-known members, while Charles Williams and Owen Barfield were also important participants. The group did not operate like a formal society with a fixed membership list or published program.

Meetings took place in Oxford locations, including Lewis’s rooms at Magdalen College and the Eagle and Child pub. Members often read drafts aloud, offered criticism, and debated literature, mythology, language, and Christianity. Tolkien read portions of The Lord of the Rings to fellow members, while Lewis shared work connected with several of his own books.

The name is sometimes mistaken for the title of a literary movement. In reality, “the Inklings” referred to a particular Oxford-based discussion circle, not a school of writing with an official manifesto.