the name

Tangye-Lean, who was an undergraduate at University College in the mid 1930s, decided to found a literary club. According to Tolkien:

"He asked some 'dons' to become members. C.S.L. [C.S. Lewis] was a obvious choice, and he was probably at that time Tangye-Lean's tutor...they met in T.-L.'s rooms in University College; its procedure was that at each meeting members should read aloud, unpublished compositions. These were supposed to be open to immediate criticism. Also if the club thought fit a contribution might be voted worthy of entry in a Record Book. (I was the scribe and keeper of the book)"
("Letters" 387-388).

The original "Inklings" was short-lived, but the habit of getting together to read bits of unfinished works between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis kept on. They, and a few others, gathered in C.S. Lewis' rooms at Magdalen. They decided to keep the name, as it was a rather clever pun, "suggesting people with vague or half-formed intimations and ideas plus those who dabble in ink" (Tolkien "Letters" 388). It is assumed the name came from Tangye-Lean, but it was a common name for literary clubs of the time so there is no particular evidence that T-L or anyone else necessarily came up with it first.

brief history

It started mostly with the Lewises and Tolkien along with a few friends at Magdalen. They then took to meeting in various pubs as well. A little later, Charles Williams joined the group as a regular member. Tolkien eventually did not come as often, and the group disbanded as they went their separate ways and the members began to die off as well. The "heyday" might be considered the late 1930s - 1960s.

common misconceptions

Dorothy Sayers, while a friend of several members, was not a member herself and there is no evidence of her attending any meetings.

The "Bird and Baby" was only one of many pubs the Inklings met at. See the places section for more information.

They did not simply read from manuscripts of their works. Often meetings would be a discussion of an idea or concept that happened to come up. See the topics page for more detail.

what it was like

"It is an Inkling's duty to be bored willingly. It is his privilege to be a borer on occasion... But Lord save you all! I don't find myself in any need of practicing forbearance towards any of you - save on the rarest occasions when I myself am tired and exhausted...I want noise often enough. I know no more pleasant sound than arriving at the B. and B. and hearing a roar, and knowing that one can plunge in."
(Tolkien "Letters" 128-9)