The Inklings was the literary discussion group associated with J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
The group met mainly at Oxford from the 1930s into the early 1950s. Its members included writers, academics, and friends who read aloud from works in progress, discussed literature, and debated ideas about storytelling and belief.
Tolkien and Lewis were central figures in the group’s history. Tolkien’s readings could include drafts from The Lord of the Rings, while Lewis shared parts of his own fiction and criticism. Meetings took place in Oxford college rooms and at The Eagle and Child pub, which members nicknamed the Bird and Baby.
The Inklings was not a formal society with a fixed membership list or official publishing program. That is why it is better understood as a circle of writers than as a conventional club. The name also predates some of Tolkien’s best-known published books.