J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis belonged to The Inklings, an informal Oxford literary discussion group. The group included writers and scholars who met to read, discuss, and criticize works in progress.
The Inklings were active chiefly during the 1930s and 1940s. Meetings took place in Oxford settings, including the Eagle and Child pub, commonly called the Bird and Baby, and sometimes in college rooms. Tolkien read portions of his developing fiction to the group, while Lewis shared work connected with his own literary projects.
The Inklings were not a formal society with an official membership list or a published program. Their importance comes from the creative exchange among friends. Other associated figures included Charles Williams and Owen Barfield. The group should not be confused with the Bloomsbury Group, a London-centered circle of writers and artists, or with the Oxford Apostles, a separate intellectual society.