The Inklings was the literary society associated with Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams.
The group met mainly in Oxford from the early 1930s until the early 1950s. Members shared works in progress, discussed literature, and debated ideas about mythology, religion, language, and storytelling. Tolkien and Lewis were among the most prominent participants, but the group was informal rather than a formally registered club with a fixed membership list.
Meetings often took place in Lewis’s rooms at Magdalen College and at an Oxford pub called The Eagle and Child, which became known by the nickname “the Bird and Baby.” Tolkien read portions of his developing fiction to fellow members, including material connected with The Lord of the Rings.
The Inklings did not write books collectively or follow one shared literary style. The name referred to a discussion circle whose members encouraged one another’s writing. That is why it should not be confused with an official publishing organization.