The literary group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis was called the Inklings.
The Inklings were an informal discussion group associated with the University of Oxford. Members met to read aloud and discuss works in progress, including fiction, poetry, and essays. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were among the group’s best-known members.
Meetings took place in Oxford locations including Lewis’s college rooms and the Eagle and Child pub, which became popularly known as the Bird and Baby. The group was active mainly during the 1930s and 1940s, though its membership and meeting patterns changed over time.
The Inklings were not a formal society with a fixed membership or published manifesto. Their importance comes from the exchange of criticism and encouragement among writers. Tolkien read portions of The Lord of the Rings to the group, while Lewis’s works also developed during this period of literary friendship.