Which writer helped C.S. Lewis form the literary group known as the Inklings?

J.R.R. Tolkien helped C.S. Lewis form the literary group known as the Inklings.

The Inklings were an informal writers’ discussion group associated with Oxford University. Lewis and Tolkien were among its best-known members, and the group met regularly to read aloud and discuss works in progress, often at Oxford venues such as The Eagle and Child pub.

Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, became one of Lewis’s closest intellectual friends. Their conversations covered mythology, language, poetry, fiction, and Christianity. Tolkien’s friendship was also important in Lewis’s return to Christian belief, although Lewis’s conversion was the result of a longer personal and intellectual process.

The Inklings were not a formal society with an official membership list or constitution. Charles Williams and Owen Barfield were also prominent participants, which is why identifying one “founder” can be imprecise. Lewis and Tolkien, however, are the figures most consistently associated with the group’s formation and reputation.