Literary circle

A literary circle or coterie, according to The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, is a "small group of writers (and others) bound together more by friendship and habitual association than by a common literary cause or style that might unite a school or movement.

The term often has pejorative connotations of exclusive cliquishness".

[1] A literary circle differs from a writing circle, in that the latter usually includes only writers and the focus is on the process of writing.

A literary circle also differs from a literary society, in that the latter need not contain any writers; members of a literary society come together to discuss or celebrate literary works or authors.

Famous or noteworthy examples include: