Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- [1900-1990] (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
129 Volumes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin, Ireland on 15 Jul 1919. When she was very young Iris and her parents moved to London, England, and Iris studied at Frobel and Badminton Schools. She followed this with studies in classics, ancient history and philosophy at Oxford, and further study at Cambridge. During the war years Iris worked for the Treasury in London, and then joined the UNRRA providing relief in formerly occupied countries in Europe. In 1948 she became a fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford, where she taught and researched philosophy.
Iris Murdoch wrote a number of tracts on philosophy, however it is for her novels that she is best known. She wrote 26 novels in total, her first being Under the Net published in 1954. Other notable works include The Bell and The Sea, the Sea, for which she won the Booker Prize. Her last novel, Jackson's Dilemma, was published in 1995.
In her youth Iris Murdoch had relationships with a number of individuals, including Elias Canetti. She met author and scholar John Bayley while at Oxford, and they married in 1956. She wrote to a great number of people and maintained friendships in this way.
Later in life Iris Murdoch was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, the first effects of which she had attributed to writer's block. She died in 1999.
Repository
Archival history
Books collected by Iris Murdoch throughout her lifetime, and removed from her flat in London.
GB 2108 MLL [1900-1990] Collection (Fonds) 129 Volumes Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author
Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin, Ireland on 15 Jul 1919. When she was very young Iris and her parents moved to London, England, and Iris studied at Frobel and Badminton Schools. She followed this with studies in classics, ancient history and philosophy at Oxford, and further study at Cambridge. During the war years Iris worked for the Treasury in London, and then joined the UNRRA providing relief in formerly occupied countries in Europe. In 1948 she became a fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford, where she taught and researched philosophy.
Iris Murdoch wrote a number of tracts on philosophy, however it is for her novels that she is best known. She wrote 26 novels in total, her first being Under the Net published in 1954. Other notable works include The Bell and The Sea, the Sea, for which she won the Booker Prize. Her last novel, Jackson's Dilemma, was published in 1995.
In her youth Iris Murdoch had relationships with a number of individuals, including Elias Canetti. She met author and scholar John Bayley while at Oxford, and they married in 1956. She wrote to a great number of people and maintained friendships in this way.
Later in life Iris Murdoch was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, the first effects of which she had attributed to writer's block. She died in 1999.
Books collected by Iris Murdoch throughout her lifetime, and removed from her flat in London.
Purchased from Betram Rota Ltd.
Small collection of books collected from Iris Murdoch's flat in London. Consists of books collected by Iris Murdoch throughout her lifetime. Many of the books in this collection were gifts given to the author, and are signed by the original author or the giver of the book. This includes her Bible given by her Grandmother in 1921. Also in the collection are first or rare editions of her own novels, notably the Booker Prize winning edition of The Sea, the Sea.
The books have been numbered to reflect the order in which they were held by Murdoch at her flat.
The books are available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.
Many of the books are too fragile to be copied from. Any copying allowed will be done by a member of staff and a charge made for this. No copying of any annotations is allowed.
English
Some of the volumes are fragile and require careful handling.
Books catalogued onto the University's library catalogue at http://icat.kingston.ac.uk
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. 2014 Sacred texts Bible Nonfiction Prose Novels Information sciences Communications media Publications Books Literature Literary forms and genres Fiction Religious texts Religious doctrines Theology Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Purchased from Betram Rota Ltd.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Small collection of books collected from Iris Murdoch's flat in London. Consists of books collected by Iris Murdoch throughout her lifetime. Many of the books in this collection were gifts given to the author, and are signed by the original author or the giver of the book. This includes her Bible given by her Grandmother in 1921. Also in the collection are first or rare editions of her own novels, notably the Booker Prize winning edition of The Sea, the Sea.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The books have been numbered to reflect the order in which they were held by Murdoch at her flat.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
The books are available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.
Conditions governing reproduction
Many of the books are too fragile to be copied from. Any copying allowed will be done by a member of staff and a charge made for this. No copying of any annotations is allowed.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Books catalogued onto the University's library catalogue at http://icat.kingston.ac.uk
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject 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