Collection GB 2108 KUAS9 - Murdoch, Iris (1919-1999): Letters to Sugana Ramanathan

Zone d'identification

Cote

GB 2108 KUAS9

Titre

Murdoch, Iris (1919-1999): Letters to Sugana Ramanathan

Date(s)

  • c1981-c1995 (Création/Production)

Niveau de description

Collection

Étendue matérielle et support

1 folder

Zone du contexte

Nom du producteur

Notice biographique

Dame Jean Iris Murdoch was born on 15 July 1919 in Dublin; later moving with her family to Brook Green, Hammersmith. Murdoch was educated at Froebel Demonstration School at Colet Gardens; Badminton School, Bristol from 1932 and Somerville College Oxford; winning scholarships to both Badminton and Somerville College.

At Oxford, Murdoch was influenced by the classicist, Eduard Fraenkel, and her philosophy tutor Donald MacKinnon and soon joined the Communist Party. Murdoch gained a first in Classics in 1942 and was employed as assistant principal in the Treasury, 1942-1944; later joining the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, working in London, Brussels and Austria. Murdoch returned to London in 1946 winning a place at Vassar College and a Commonwealth Scholarship, however as she had declared herself a communist on her application for an American visa her application was denied. Murdoch studied at Newnham College, Cambridge, 1947-1948 and won a philosophy tutorship at St Anne's, Oxford, where she stayed until 1963, she later worked as a lecturer at Royal College of Art for four years.

Murdoch's first book Sartre: Romantic Rationalist was published in 1953 by Bowes and Bowes in a series titled 'Studies in Modern Thought' and her first novel Under the net was accepted for publication. She went on to write many books including The Bell, 1958, which achieved great commercial success and The Red and the Green, 1965, concerning the Easter rising, reflecting her Irish background. Murdoch was appointed DBE in 1987 and presented with an honorary degree from Kingston University in 1993. In 1997 Murdoch was diagnosed as suffering with Alzheimer's disease and died in Oxford on 8 February 1999.

Publications include: Existentialists and Mystics: Writings on Literature and Philosophy, 1997; A Fairly Honourable Defeat, 1970 and Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals, 1992.

Sugana Ramanathan, an academic employed by St Xaviers College, Ahmedabad, India [1998], wrote about Iris in Figures of Good (Macmillan, London, 1990) and met her 1987 at Murdoch's house. Ramanathan corresponded with Murdoch regularly during 1980s-1990s.

Histoire archivistique

GB 2108 KUAS9 c1981-c1995 collection 1 folder Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris

Dame Jean Iris Murdoch was born on 15 July 1919 in Dublin; later moving with her family to Brook Green, Hammersmith. Murdoch was educated at Froebel Demonstration School at Colet Gardens; Badminton School, Bristol from 1932 and Somerville College Oxford; winning scholarships to both Badminton and Somerville College.

At Oxford, Murdoch was influenced by the classicist, Eduard Fraenkel, and her philosophy tutor Donald MacKinnon and soon joined the Communist Party. Murdoch gained a first in Classics in 1942 and was employed as assistant principal in the Treasury, 1942-1944; later joining the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, working in London, Brussels and Austria. Murdoch returned to London in 1946 winning a place at Vassar College and a Commonwealth Scholarship, however as she had declared herself a communist on her application for an American visa her application was denied. Murdoch studied at Newnham College, Cambridge, 1947-1948 and won a philosophy tutorship at St Anne's, Oxford, where she stayed until 1963, she later worked as a lecturer at Royal College of Art for four years.

Murdoch's first book Sartre: Romantic Rationalist was published in 1953 by Bowes and Bowes in a series titled 'Studies in Modern Thought' and her first novel Under the net was accepted for publication. She went on to write many books including The Bell, 1958, which achieved great commercial success and The Red and the Green, 1965, concerning the Easter rising, reflecting her Irish background. Murdoch was appointed DBE in 1987 and presented with an honorary degree from Kingston University in 1993. In 1997 Murdoch was diagnosed as suffering with Alzheimer's disease and died in Oxford on 8 February 1999.

Publications include: Existentialists and Mystics: Writings on Literature and Philosophy, 1997; A Fairly Honourable Defeat, 1970 and Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals, 1992.

Sugana Ramanathan, an academic employed by St Xaviers College, Ahmedabad, India [1998], wrote about Iris in Figures of Good (Macmillan, London, 1990) and met her 1987 at Murdoch's house. Ramanathan corresponded with Murdoch regularly during 1980s-1990s.

Acquired in 2004.

Papers of Iris Murdoch, c 1981-c 1995, comprising letters to Sugana Ramanathan, responding initially to Ramanathan's letter expressing interest in Murdoch's books, which later developed into a literary friendship. The letters discuss Jesuits and a Jesuit College (presumably in India) and Murdoch's interest in this, as she has had 'many highly intelligent Jesuit pupils'; describe their first meeting, and reflect on Murdoch's works including the Gifford lectures.

Arranged in original order.

Open. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment.

Contact archive for information concerning reproduction at archives@kingston.ac.uk.

English

Catalogued, not currently available online.

Peter Conradi Research Collection: KUAS6/3/124, KUAS37, KUAS35, KUAS12, KUAS50, KUAS8, KUAS11, KUAS28, KUAS7, KUAS10, KUAS39.

Sources: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online and Peter Conradi Research Collection: KUAS6/3/124.
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. Communications media Books Literature Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris Philosophy Publications Ramanathan , Sugana , fl 1981 Religious communities Religious institutions Society of Jesus Information sciences

Source immédiate d'acquisition ou de transfert

Acquired in 2004.

Zone du contenu et de la structure

Portée et contenu

Papers of Iris Murdoch, c 1981-c 1995, comprising letters to Sugana Ramanathan, responding initially to Ramanathan's letter expressing interest in Murdoch's books, which later developed into a literary friendship. The letters discuss Jesuits and a Jesuit College (presumably in India) and Murdoch's interest in this, as she has had 'many highly intelligent Jesuit pupils'; describe their first meeting, and reflect on Murdoch's works including the Gifford lectures.

Évaluation, élimination et calendrier de conservation

Accroissements

Mode de classement

Arranged in original order.

Zone des conditions d'accès et d'utilisation

Conditions d'accès

Open. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment.

Conditions de reproduction

Contact archive for information concerning reproduction at archives@kingston.ac.uk.

Langue des documents

  • anglais

Écriture des documents

  • latin

Notes de langue et graphie

English

Caractéristiques matérielle et contraintes techniques

Peter Conradi Research Collection: KUAS6/3/124, KUAS37, KUAS35, KUAS12, KUAS50, KUAS8, KUAS11, KUAS28, KUAS7, KUAS10, KUAS39.

Instruments de recherche

Catalogued, not currently available online.

Zone des sources complémentaires

Existence et lieu de conservation des originaux

Existence et lieu de conservation des copies

Unités de description associées

Descriptions associées

Zone des notes

Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)

Mots-clés

Mots-clés - Lieux

Mots-clés - Noms

Mots-clés - Genre

Zone du contrôle de la description

Identifiant de la description

Identifiant du service d'archives

Kingston University

Règles et/ou conventions utilisées

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.

Statut

Niveau de détail

Dates de production, de révision, de suppression

Langue(s)

  • anglais

Écriture(s)

    Sources

    Zone des entrées