Dorothy L. Sayers' Pioneering Women's Literary Group Paved Way for the Inklings

Oxford, UK – Recent historical insights are shedding new light on the influential role of Dorothy L. Sayers, a celebrated crime novelist and Christian apologist, in the intellectual landscape surrounding the famed Inklings literary group at Oxford University. While not a formal member of the all-male Inklings, Sayers founded her own women's literary society, the "Mutual Admiration Society," which served as a significant precursor and intellectual parallel to the later group that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The "Mutual Admiration Society" was established by Sayers during her time at Somerville College, Oxford, alongside fellow students Amphilis Middlemore and Charis Ursula Barnett. This group provided a forum for female students to read and critique each other's literary work, fostering intellectual camaraderie and creative development in an era when women's academic contributions were often marginalized. Sayers herself humorously named the group, noting, "if we didn't give ourselves that title, the rest of College would."

Sayers, who was among the first women to graduate from Oxford with first-class honors in Modern Languages in 1915, maintained close friendships and correspondence with key Inklings members, particularly C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. The two groups, though separate due to the Inklings' all-male composition, shared a common intellectual spirit and a deep engagement with literature, theology, and mythopoeic writing. Lewis himself acknowledged Sayers' literary prowess, once writing to her, "...you are one of the great English letter writers."

Her association with figures like Williams profoundly influenced Sayers' later literary career, particularly her shift from detective fiction to religious drama and her acclaimed translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. She dedicated her translations of Dante's Hell and Purgatory to Williams, underscoring his significant impact on her work. This connection highlights a rich, interwoven intellectual community at Oxford, where ideas flowed between prominent thinkers regardless of formal group affiliations. The revelation of Sayers' foundational women's group and her deep intellectual ties to the Inklings adds a crucial dimension to the understanding of early 20th-century Oxford literary history.