IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 2108 MLL
Held at: Kingston University
Title: Iris Murdoch's London Library
Date(s): [1900-1990]
Level of description: Collection (Fonds)
Extent: 129 Volumes
Name of creator(s): Murdoch | Dame | Jean Iris | 1919-1999 | author
CONTEXT
Administrative/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.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
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.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
The books have been numbered to reflect the order in which they were held by Murdoch at her flat.
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.
Physical characteristics:
Some of the volumes are fragile and require careful handling.
Finding aids:
Books catalogued onto the University's library catalogue at http://icat.kingston.ac.uk
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Books collected by Iris Murdoch throughout her lifetime, and removed from her flat in London.
Immediate source of acquisition:
Purchased from Betram Rota Ltd.
ALLIED MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Date(s) of descriptions: 2014