Fonds GB 2108 KUAS184 - Murdoch, Iris (1919-1999): Letters from Iris Murdoch to Ray Byram

18 letters and 1 photograph

GB 2108 KUAS184 [1978-1992] Fonds 18 letters and 1 photograph 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.

Kindly presented by Ray Byram.

18 letters from Iris Murdoch to Ray Byram, an academic at the University of California Santa Barbara. He meet Iris Murdoch and John Bayley during their visit to the University, and later visited them at their house in Oxford. Also contains a photograph of Iris Murdoch with Margaret Mallory.

Original order.

Available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.

Some copying allowed. Please contact Kingston University Archives and Special Collections for more information.

English

Please see Kingston University Archives and Special Collections online catalogue.

December 2017 Visual materials Photographs Educational institutions Higher education institutions Universities Information sources Records and correspondence Letters (documents) Travel Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Kindly presented by Ray Byram.

18 letters from Iris Murdoch to Ray Byram, an academic at the University of California Santa Barbara. He meet Iris Murdoch and John Bayley during their visit to the University, and later visited them at their house in Oxford. Also contains a photograph of Iris Murdoch with Margaret Mallory.

Original order.

Available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.

Some copying allowed. Please contact Kingston University Archives and Special Collections for more information.

• English

• Latin

English

Please see Kingston University Archives and Special Collections online catalogue.

• English