Which Oxford literary discussion group did J.R.R. Tolkien belong to?

J.R.R. Tolkien belonged to The Inklings.

The Inklings were an informal literary discussion group associated with Oxford University. The group met mainly in the 1930s and 1940s, often at the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, which members nicknamed the Bird and Baby. Tolkien read drafts of his work to fellow members and received discussion and criticism.

The group’s best-known members included Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, who became a close friend and important literary companion. Other participants included Charles Williams and Owen Barfield. The Inklings were not a formal society with a fixed membership list or published program; they were primarily a circle of writers and scholars sharing work aloud.

Tolkien’s association with the Inklings is sometimes confused with his academic employment at Oxford. The group was a social and literary network, not a university department. Its meetings helped create an environment in which major works of twentieth-century fantasy and Christian literature were discussed while still developing.