Which literary society did C.S. Lewis join with J.R.R. Tolkien?

C.S. Lewis joined J.R.R. Tolkien in the literary discussion group known as The Inklings. The group met mainly in Oxford during the 1930s and 1940s and included writers, scholars, and friends.

The Inklings did not function as a formal society with a constitution or membership register. Instead, it was an informal circle that shared drafts, discussed literature, and debated ideas. Meetings took place in Oxford college rooms and at the Eagle and Child pub, which members nicknamed the “Bird and Baby.”

Lewis and Tolkien were among the group’s best-known participants. Tolkien read portions of The Lord of the Rings to fellow members, while Lewis shared work connected with his fiction and Christian writing. Charles Williams and Owen Barfield were also important members of the circle.

The group’s name is a playful reference to people who have literary ideas “in inkling.” It should not be confused with modernist organizations such as the Bloomsbury Group, which had different members and artistic aims.