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Papers of Peter Conradi, 1933-2001, comprise research papers compiled during his research for the authorised biography of Iris Murdoch and notably include profiles of people who knew Murdoch including Hans Gunther Adler and Elizabeth Anscombe; Peter Conradi's correspondence with individuals who knew Murdoch, including Miriam Allott and Kenneth Baker MP; notes and transcripts taken during interviews with people who knew Murdoch and audio recordings of some interviews; original manuscripts and drafts of Murdoch's work including drafts and a typescript of the final version of 'Eulogy for Borys Villers (1923-1992)' and secondary resources including photocopies of press cuttings about Iris Murdoch and reviews of her work. The collection also includes research undertaken by Jane Jantet into Murdoch's family tree; correspondence and research relating to Murdoch's time within Froebel School, Badminton School, Somerville College, Oxford and the Royal College of Art; correspondence concerning Murdoch's involvement with the New Left Review; letters received by Iris Murdoch and John Bayley largely concerning Bayley's book Iris: A memoir, 1998 and letters from Murdoch to individuals including Conradi.

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.

Records created or held by Dennis Berry while he was the Head of the Architecture department at Kingston School of Art/ Kingston College of Art/ Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University). Includes photographs, scrap books, notes on town plan exhibitions and projects, notes on curriculum and examinations, meeting minutes, diaries, leaflets and publications from the Architecture department, and posters for an Architecture talk 1959.

Papers and books belonging to the theatre critic Sheridan Morley (1941-2007). Includes correspondence, records relating to his various productions, volumes of press coverings covering his reviews, research notes and transcripts of some of his publications, photographs, records relating to his father Robert Morley and Grandmother Gladys Cooper, records relating to Noel Coward, theatre memorabilia and ephemera and objects.

Handwritten document by Iris Murdoch giving her thoughts on the definition of Love, written on request for artist George Pappas. With an accompanying letter written by Iris Murdoch dated 15 Jul 1969 agreeing to write a piece for him, plus a postcard, brief biography of and review of an exhibition by George Pappas.

Items relating to Iris Murdoch presented to the archives by Anne Rowe. Includes:

1) Papers on a proposed Festschrift on Iris Murdoch collated by Peter Conradi

2) Copies of the newsletter for the Iris Murdoch Society of Japan

3) Press articles on Iris Murdoch

4) Letters written to Anne Rowe and Peter Conradi regarding Iris Murdoch

5) Original text copies of the Iris Murdoch Society Newsletters Nos 1-19

6) Unpublished essay by Rachel Cusk on Iris Murdoch

Items relating to Iris Murdoch from 1939 to 1995. Includes:

1) Uncorrected Proof Copy of Iris Murdoch's 'The Book and the Brotherhood'

2) Booklet: Theology in Scotland Occasional Paper No 1 Apr 1995- 'Iris Murdoch's Giffords' A Study of the 1982 Gifford Lectures Edited by RA Gillies

3) Original copy of 'The Cherwell' magazine Vol LVI No 6 dated Week Ending 03 Jun 1939, including Iris Murdoch's piece 'The Irish- Are they Human?'

4) 6 original letters from Iris Murdoch to a bookseller regarding seeing first editions from the 1980s, with a letter from The Paris Review to Iris Murdoch regarding an interview dated 14 Mar 1977 and a photograph of a book shop.

Papers of Iris Murdoch, 1993, comprising a letter of thanks to Ana Olos for her suggestion that Murdoch write her biography but turning her down: 'Alas I have very little time left and to tell your story well would take a lot of time, I am very sorry. I have little time to write my own work'. The collection also contains a copy of Ana Olos' (Psycho)analytical approach to a case of reading therapy, Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies 4.1-2 1998.

Approximately 30 cards and letters from Iris Murdoch to her publisher Carmen Callil, with some additional invitations to events celebrating the life and work of Iris Murdoch.

Letters sent from Iris Murdoch to her friend and fellow author Brigid Brophy. Murdoch and Brophy met in 1954 and maintained a friendship from then until Brophy's death in 1995. The period of the mid-1950s to the end of the 1960s was a time when the two were particularly close, although the letters do show the passionate nature of the relationship as Brophy sometimes sent accusing or angry letters to Murdoch, and these letters show Murdoch responding in kind. The letters also cover Murdoch's work and travels, plus views on current events, music, literature and art.

The letters are split into 7 files- the first three are letters from Murdoch which Brophy had separated out into a filing cabinet, and the fourth are letters from Murdoch to Michael Levey with a selection of other items such as photographs. File 5 contains dated letters arranged in chronological order, File 6 previously undated letters, and File 7 postcards and lettercards.

Papers of Iris Murdoch, 1960s-1990s, comprising informal letters to her friend Barbara Dorf spanning a thirty-year friendship. The collection also contains letters from John Bayley to Dorf, written presumably when Murdoch was too ill to do so herself or following her death, thanking Dorf for being a special friend to Iris; a letter from Dorf to Dr Rowe at Kingston University discussing the Iris Murdoch collection and providing biographical information concerning Murdoch. The collection also includes a photocopy of an oil painting of Iris Murdoch by Barbara Dorf.

Notebooks and other items belonging to Iris Murdoch from her home at Charlbury Road, Oxford. Includes:

1) File containing typed draft of paper 'Evil is to Love, what Mystery is to Intelligence' by Martin Andic dated 26 Feb 1995, plus typed text draft of the opening pages of John Bayley's 'Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch'

2) Bundle containing handwritten notes by Iris Murdoch on Martin Heidegger, plus typed notes on philosophy with handwritten annotations by Murdoch c. early 1990s

3) 16 notebooks containing notes on the Greek language 1960s- 1980s

4) 4 notebooks with planning notes for the novel 'The Good Apprentice'

5) Notebook with notes on 'The Message to the Planet'

6) Notebook with notes on 'The Book and the Brotherhood'

7) 8 notebooks with notes on philosophy, including notes on the Gifford Lectures and 'Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals'

8) 2 notebooks from Iris Murdoch's trip to China 1979

9) Notebook from trip to India/ Australia 1967

10) Appointment diaries 1978 and 1980

11) 2 notebooks on unknown subjects (possibly philosophy)

12) Notebook on Hebrew 1979

13) Indexed notebook with topics noted in top right hand corner, possibly for Greek words. However pages are empty.

14) Notebook dated 26 Jan 1954- first few pages have been removed, otherwise the notebook is empty

15) Notebook dated 1955- 1958. One page of notes on ethics in the back, and several pages have been ripped out from the front. Otherwise empty. Possibly originally used as a journal?

16) Notebook noted as belonging to Iris Murdoch at HM Treasury dated 12 Mar 1944. Several pages have been ripped out from the front. Otherwise empty. Possibly originally used as a journal?

17) Blank nature notebook

18) 2 photographs of Iris Murdoch's desk, labelled on reverse by John Bayley 'Iris Murdoch's table'

19) Piece of blotting paper used by Iris Murdoch when writing letters

20) 23 empty envelopes either addressed to Iris Murdoch and / or John Bayley, or addressed by Iris Murdoch to other people

21) 3 pieces of Berkeley Department of English Headed Paper, one with beginnings of a letter written by Iris Murdoch to unknown recipient

22) 5 blank postcards from St Catherine's College, and 3 blank pieces of notepaper. Murdoch has written the Cedar Lodge address on the back of one of the postcards.

23) 2 blank postcards

24) Blank postcards with Reynold Stone's name and address at the top

24) Blank notepaper with La Valencia Hotel printed at the top

25) Two blank pre-printed invitation cards

26) 5 blank pieces of notepaper printed with the Conservation Society logo

27) Blank postcard from New College Oxford

28) Postcard advertising opening of an exhibition by Lesley Foxcroft at the Riverside Studios

29) Invitation to Iris Murdoch and John Bayley to attend an event at Parker and Son Ltd 14 Nov 1984

30) Invitation to cocktails at Timothy Dwight College 28 Feb 1983

31) Blank black notebook

32) Blank Basildon Bond notepad

33) 3 blank WH Smith notebooks

First editions of some of Iris Murdoch's novels, and other rare texts- 13 volumes in total. Consists of:

KUAS25/1 Limited edition playscript for The One Alone (Colophon Press, 1995)

KUAS25/2 Copy of A Year of Birds poems by Iris Murdoch, engravings by Reynolds Stone (Compton Press, 1978)

KUAS25/3 Unrevised proof copy of The Time of the Angels (Viking Press, 1966)

KUAS25/4 Copies of Sartre; Romantic Rationalist by Iris Murdoch (Bowes and Borwes, 1953)

KUAS25/5 Playscript of The Italian Girl: A Play,/i> by Iris Murdoch and James Saunders (Samuel French, 1968)

KUAS25/6 Unrevised proof copy of The Italin Girl the novel (Viking Press, 1964)

KUAS25/7 Reprint of Existentialists and Mystics by Iris Murdoch (Delos Press, 1993)

KUAS25/8 Programme for the play The Black Prince adapted by Iris Murdoch's from her novel The Black Prince (1973)

KUAS25/9 First edition of Iris Murdoch's first novel, Under the Net (London, Chatto and Windus 1954). With original dust jacket.

KUAS25/10 First edition of Iris Murdoch's novel, The Sandcastle (London, Chatto and Windus 1957). With original dust jacket.

KUAS25/11 First edition of Iris Murdoch's novel, The Good Apprentice (London, Chatto and Windus - The Hogarth Press 1985). With original dust jacket.

KUAS25/12 First edition of Iris Murdoch's novel, The Book and the Brotherhood, (London, Chatto and Windus 1987). With original dust jacket.

KUAS25/13 First edition of Iris Murdoch's novel, The Message to the Planet, (London, Chatto and Windus 1989). With original dust jacket.

Sixteen books formerly owned by Iris Murdoch- they either have dedications to her, or notes of her name written in the front. One book is partially annotated.

Letters sent from Iris Murdoch to French author and poet Raymond Queneau, dating from 1946 to 1975. Iris met Queneau while doing war work with the UNRRA, and enjoyed a regular correspondence with him. She claimed that she owed much of her writing to her friendship with Queneau, and dedicated her first novel 'Under the Net' to him. The letters cover a number of topics including the early days of Murdoch's writing and philosophical views, her work with the UNRRA, and early relationships.

With some articles collected by Queneau on the work of Iris Murdoch

The papers of author Wendy Perriam. This includes the working papers for all of her novels including idea notebooks, research, drafts, correspondence and notes on publicity. The collection also contains materials relating to her poetry and short story collections, plus her teaching, public speaking and other work. In addition there is material relating to her personal life.