J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary group with C.S. Lewis at its centre was called the Inklings.
The Inklings were an informal Oxford writers’ group that met mainly during the 1930s and 1940s. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were its best-known members, while Charles Williams and Owen Barfield were also important participants.
Members read drafts aloud and discussed works of fiction, poetry, theology, and criticism. Tolkien shared portions of The Lord of the Rings with the group, and Lewis’s encouragement helped sustain Tolkien during the long process of writing and revising the book.
The name was a playful reference to writing and to an earlier Oxford discussion group. The Inklings were not a formal society with a fixed membership list, which is why accounts may mention somewhat different participants.