What was the surname of C.S. Lewis’s close friend Charles?

C.S. Lewis’s close literary friend Charles had the surname Williams.

Charles Williams was an English writer, theologian, and editor who became associated with the Inklings in Oxford. Lewis admired Williams’s imaginative writing and theological thought, and the two men developed a significant friendship.

Williams moved to Oxford during World War II when his publisher, the Oxford University Press, was evacuated there from London. His presence strengthened the intellectual and spiritual exchanges among Lewis, Tolkien, and their circle.

Charles Williams is sometimes confused with Lewis’s brother Warren, who was also a close companion and later a historian. Williams was not a relative of Lewis; his importance came from friendship, shared literary interests, and participation in the Inklings.