The Inklings were the Oxford literary discussion group that included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
The group met mainly during the 1930s and 1940s, first in Oxford college rooms and later at the Eagle and Child pub, which members nicknamed the Bird and Baby. Participants read aloud from works in progress and discussed literature, theology, poetry, and mythology.
Tolkien read sections of The Lord of the Rings to the group while he was writing it. C.S. Lewis also shared drafts, and the group’s criticism could be direct and demanding. Other associated members included Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and Warren Lewis.
The Inklings were not a formal society with a fixed membership or published manifesto. Their importance came from friendship and sustained conversation. It is also misleading to call them only a fantasy-writing club: their discussions covered Christian thought, philology, poetry, biography, and many other literary subjects.