Smudgelings

The Smudgelings was a secret society of writers.

In the 1930s, Reginald Tyler invited Cleavis into the group, bringing the total to twelve members. The group would meet every Monday at The Phoenix and the Carpet to discuss their work. (PROSE: Fellowship of Ink) Their meeting place later became the Book and Candle and John Cleavis acted as the unofficial leader of the group. (PROSE: Mad Dogs and Englishmen)

All of the Smudgelings were convinced of the importance of Reginald Tyler's life's work The True History of Planets.

In 1942, William Freer joined the Smudgelings in order to pervert Tyler's masterpiece into Poodle propaganda. The Eighth Doctor infiltrated the Smudgelings to try to stop Freer from opening a direct link between Tyler's mind and Princess Margaret's mind, but was unsuccessful. (PROSE: Mad Dogs and Englishmen)

Behind the scenes
The Smudgelings are inspired by the real-world writers' group known as the Inklings, which included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.