About
Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin in 1919 and grew up in London. After studying classics at Oxford, she worked for the British Treasury and UNRRA, then became a philosophy tutor at Oxford. She published her first novel in 1954 and wrote 26 novels, exploring moral questions and the complexity of human relationships. Winner of the Booker Prize in 1978, she also received many other awards. Afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, she died in 1999.
Major works
- Under the Net (1954)novel
- The Sovereignty of Good (1970)philosophy
- The Black Prince (1973)novel
- The Sea, the Sea (1978)novel
- Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals (1992)philosophy
Key milestones
- 1948Becomes a philosophy tutor and fellow at St Anne's College, Oxford.
- 1978Wins the Booker Prize for her novel 'The Sea, the Sea'.
- 1987Appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Themes
moralityloveartfreedomillusion
Sources: some.ox.ac.uk · english-heritage.org.uk · britannica.com