Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1980]-2006 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3 boxes and c 75 books
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Peter Conradi worked as Iris Murdoch's authorised biographer and was co-executor of her estate. Conradi was a close friend of Murdoch and her husband, John Bayley, in the 1980s and 1990s. Conradi, a Professor of English, wrote his PhD on Murdoch's Platonism and edited her book of essays Existentialists and Mystics: Writings on Literature and Philosophy, published in 2007. Conradi published his autobiography of Murdoch in 2001, titled Iris Murdoch: A life, which was chosen as 'Book of the Year' by critics including Margaret Drabble and P D James.
Repository
Archival history
GB 2108 KUAS17 [1980]-2006 collection 3 boxes and c 75 books Conradi , Peter , fl 1980s , writer
Peter Conradi worked as Iris Murdoch's authorised biographer and was co-executor of her estate. Conradi was a close friend of Murdoch and her husband, John Bayley, in the 1980s and 1990s. Conradi, a Professor of English, wrote his PhD on Murdoch's Platonism and edited her book of essays Existentialists and Mystics: Writings on Literature and Philosophy, published in 2007. Conradi published his autobiography of Murdoch in 2001, titled Iris Murdoch: A life, which was chosen as 'Book of the Year' by critics including Margaret Drabble and P D James.
Acquired in 2006.
Papers of Peter Conradi, comprise research material on Iris Murdoch, books including works by Murdoch and foreign language copies of Peter Conradi's biography and books by and about Elias Canetti. Papers notably include correspondence to Conradi notably from Michael [Bayley] (believed to be John Bayley's brother), [2003-2005]; Dr Marjorie Boulton concerning matters including Conradi's biography, c 2001-2006 and from Harper Collins Publishers discussing the sales of Iris Murdoch: Saint and Artist, 2003-2004. Papers also contain research notes including a draft forward to Conradi's Iris Murdoch: Saint and Artist with notations, c 1985; notebooks used by Conradi to record information about Murdoch for his biography and newspaper cuttings regarding Murdoch, including obituaries, 1995-2004.
Arranged in eight series: Letters received by Peter Conradi; letters to Conradi regarding the Iris Murdoch archive at Kingston University; Frank Thompson 'Selected Poems'; Iris Murdoch's visit to Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University); Peter Conradi's research notes; press cuttings; manuscripts; videos and ILL book collection (Iris Murdoch London Library).
Open. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment.
Contact archive for information concerning reproduction at archives@kingston.ac.uk.
English
No additional finding aids currently exist.
KUAS6.
Please note books within this collection are catalogued and can be found on Kingston University library catalogue at www.kingston.ac.uk/library/.
Sources: Peter Conradi, Iris Murdoch (1919-1999) (Bernard Quaritch Ltd) and Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.
Entry compiled by Samantha Velumyl, AIM25 cataloguer.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
May 2008. Conradi , Peter , fl 1980s , writer Fiction Genealogy Literary forms and genres Literature Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris Prose Publishing Publishing industry Research Biographies Biography
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Acquired in 2006.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of Peter Conradi, comprise research material on Iris Murdoch, books including works by Murdoch and foreign language copies of Peter Conradi's biography and books by and about Elias Canetti. Papers notably include correspondence to Conradi notably from Michael [Bayley] (believed to be John Bayley's brother), [2003-2005]; Dr Marjorie Boulton concerning matters including Conradi's biography, c 2001-2006 and from Harper Collins Publishers discussing the sales of Iris Murdoch: Saint and Artist, 2003-2004. Papers also contain research notes including a draft forward to Conradi's Iris Murdoch: Saint and Artist with notations, c 1985; notebooks used by Conradi to record information about Murdoch for his biography and newspaper cuttings regarding Murdoch, including obituaries, 1995-2004.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged in eight series: Letters received by Peter Conradi; letters to Conradi regarding the Iris Murdoch archive at Kingston University; Frank Thompson 'Selected Poems'; Iris Murdoch's visit to Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University); Peter Conradi's research notes; press cuttings; manuscripts; videos and ILL book collection (Iris Murdoch London Library).
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment.
Conditions governing reproduction
Contact archive for information concerning reproduction at archives@kingston.ac.uk.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
KUAS6.
Finding aids
No additional finding aids currently exist.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Please note books within this collection are catalogued and can be found on Kingston University library catalogue at www.kingston.ac.uk/library/.
Notes area
Note
Please note books within this collection are catalogued and can be found on Kingston University library catalogue at www.kingston.ac.uk/library/.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English