Which writer co-founded the Inklings literary group with C.S. Lewis?

J.R.R. Tolkien co-founded the Inklings literary group with C.S. Lewis. The informal group met in Oxford and included writers and scholars who read works in progress, discussed literature, and shared interests in mythology and Christianity.

The Inklings were not a formal society with a fixed membership list or published constitution. Their meetings generally took place at Oxford locations, including the Eagle and Child pub, known to members as the Bird and Baby, and in college rooms. Lewis and Tolkien were among the group’s most famous participants.

Tolkien’s friendship with Lewis was especially important to both writers. They exchanged criticism and encouraged each other’s imaginative work. Tolkien read portions of The Lord of the Rings aloud to the group, while Lewis’s developing fiction also benefited from this literary circle.

Charles Williams and Owen Barfield were notable Inklings as well, but neither is the writer most commonly identified as Lewis’s co-founder. The group’s influence is best understood as collaborative conversation rather than joint authorship.