Which writer and fellow Oxford scholar was one of C.S. Lewis’s closest friends?

J.R.R. Tolkien was one of C.S. Lewis’s closest friends and fellow Oxford scholars. They met at Oxford in the 1920s and shared an interest in mythology, language, and medieval literature.

Lewis and Tolkien belonged to the Inklings, an informal Oxford literary group that met mainly at The Eagle and Child pub. Members read aloud from works in progress and discussed fiction, poetry, and ideas about storytelling.

Tolkien was important in Lewis’s return to Christian belief, although Lewis’s conversion developed through several conversations and influences rather than a single event. Lewis, in turn, strongly supported Tolkien’s creative work and helped encourage his writing.

Their friendship later became strained, especially over personal and professional differences. Even so, both men became major twentieth-century authors whose fantasy works continue to be read together.