In the early 20th century, in Oxford, England, a group of academics, authors, and professors,

began convening weekly to discuss ideas, present their literary projects, and offer one

another honest critiques.

C.S. Lewis, an accomplished author and professor of English literature at Magdalene College,

was a central figure along with his close friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, a philologist and professor of

Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College. The group of 68 men met every Tuesday at their local pub,

the Eagle and Child, which they

affectionately referred to as the bird and baby, to share a few pints, smoke their pipes,

and sharpen their wits.

Thursday evenings were reserved for more serious and sometimes lengthy presentations,

followed by listener feedback at Lewis's college rooms.

This club and these friends came to be known as the inklings.

Their weekly meanings went on for years, starting in the 1920s, and continuing through the 40s. Some of the

great English literary works of the era and beyond, including the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles

of Narnia, the Ransom trilogy, mere Christianity, and more grew from seed form during this time

and were tested, scrutinized, and resh grew from seed form during this time and were tested,

scrutinized, and reshaped by these friends during their private club meetings. C.S. Louis

brother Warren described their meetings like this. The ritual of an inklings was unvarying.

When half a dozen or so had arrived, tea would be produced, after which when pipes were alight,

Jack would say, well, has nobody got anything

to read us? Out would come a manuscript, and we would settle down to sit in judgment upon it.

Real, unbiased judgment, too. For about the inklings, there was nothing of a mutual admiration society.

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