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

J.R.R. Tolkien co-founded the Inklings with C.S. Lewis.

The Inklings were an informal literary discussion group associated with Oxford University. Lewis and Tolkien were its central figures, and the group met regularly to read and discuss works in progress, poetry, mythology, and theology. Their meetings helped create an environment in which both writers tested ideas aloud.

The group met in Oxford settings including the Eagle and Child pub, known to members as the Bird and Baby, and Lewis’s college rooms. Other participants included Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and Hugo Dyson. Membership was informal rather than governed by a fixed constitution.

The Inklings did not publish a joint book or operate as a formal literary society. Their importance comes from the friendships and criticism that shaped major works such as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Lewis’s Narnia stories. Tolkien and Lewis first became close through Oxford academic life and shared literary interests.