Regular Members
People listed on this page are considered regular members of the Inklings. Due to the informal nature of the group, other frequent visitors are often included in their discussions. They were known to meet on Tuesday mornings at a pub during the term.
Works listed are additions to the 'Home' tab.
Owen Barfield was a philosopher, author, poet, and critic. His works include language, myth, perception, and the evolution of human consciousness, and influenced both Tolkien and Lewis. Lewis also dedicated a few of his Narnian chronicles to Barfield's children.
Jack A. W. Bennett was a New Zealand-born literary scholar, best known for his works with Middle English Literature. In 1964, he succeeded C. S. Lewis as Professor of Medieval Renaissance English at Cambridge University. He was also editor of the Medium Ævum, the academic journal of the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature, between 1957-1981.
Lord David Cecil was a biographer, historian, and scholar. His works included studies on the likes of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, William Cowper, Thomas Hardy, and Dorothy Osborne. He also wrote literary and biographic studies of the likes of Charles Lamb and Desmond McCarthy.
Nevill Coghill was a literary scholar and professor of Middle English at the University of Oxford, best known for his translation of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. He also worked on theatrical productions, such as co-writing the West End and Broadway musical of Canterbury Tales (1968), as well as co-directing an adaptation of Doctor Faustus (1967) for screen.
The Collected Papers of Nevil Coghill by 
Henry V. D. Dyson was an academic, and his works largely centered on Shakespearian Literature. He was also remembered for preferring talking at Inklings meetings over readings. Though not a prolific writer, he was best remembered for his lectures and conversations.
The Emergence of Shakespeare's tragedy by 
Augustans and Romantics, 1689-1830 by 
Adam Fox was a poet and a Professor of Poetry at Oxford. He also worked as a priest, serving as an archdeacon and Sub-Dean of Westminster from 1942-63. Fox later became part of the Canon of Westminster Abbey, and was buried in the Poets' Corner.
Dean Inge by 
Plato for Pleasure by 
Clive Staples Lewis was a writer, literary scholar, and theologian. He is best known for his work The Chronicles of Narnia and his Christian apologetics. He served as part of Oxford University's English faculty until 1954.
For a profile-oriented guide, visit Gumberg Library's C. S. Lewis Research Guide.
Warren Hamilton Lewis (right), brother of C. S. Lewis (left), was one of the founding members of the Inklings. He served as a supply officer with the Royal Army Service Corps of the British Army, and held the rank of Captain. Later in life, he wrote on French history, and served as his brother's secretary.
Brothers and Friends by 
The Splendid Century by 
Charles W. S. Williams was a poet, novelist, playwright, theologian, biographer, and literary critic. Williams worked extensively for the Oxford University Press, as well as lecturing on English literature. He also produced anthologies, numerous prefaces, and series of reviews.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer and philologist, best known for his high fantasy works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, for which he is accredited as the "father" of modern fantasy literature. He was the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon (1925-1945) and the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature (1945-1959) during his time at the University of Oxford. He also worked on the Oxford English Dictionary from 1918.
Christopher John Reuel Tolkien was the third child of J. R. R. Tolkien. At age 21, he was invited by his father to join the Inklings, and Christopher was referred by his father as his "literary executor." After his father's death, Christopher organized his father's unpublished writings, edited, and produced them for publication. This totaled up to 24 volumes of posthumous works across 45 years. He was a lecturer in English language at Oxford between 1954-1975, and served as chairman of the Tolkien Estate until 2017.
For a profile-oriented guide, visit Gumberg Library's J. R. R. Tolkien's Research Guide.
This research guide was created by Agaretha Kosasih, English Department Intern, October 2024
If at any time you need help with using Gumberg Library resources, please contact Ted Bergfelt, Humanities Librarian, via email or by phone at 412-396-5351, 8:30 am-4:30 pm ET, Monday-Friday. If he is not available, Ask Gumberg
