Iris Murdoch, novelist and philosopher, was born on 15 July 1919 in Dublin. and brought up in London. Schooled at Froebel, then Badminton, she won scholarships both to Badminton College, and, in 1938, to Somerville College where she read "Mods and Greats". After four years at the Treasury and in UNRRA she taught philosophy at St Annes from 1948 until 1963, when she retired to devote her time to writing. In 1956 she married John Bayley; in 1976 was awarded the CBE and in 1987 was made a DBE. Her productivity and achievement were remarkable. She played a major role in English life and letters for nearly half a century, and became an icon to a generation. Her philosophy includes a study of Sartre, The Sovereignty of Good and Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals. Among her 26 published novels, Under the Net, The Bell , A Severed Head,The Black Prince, and the Booker-prize winning The Sea The Sea (1978) won her especial acclaim. She died from Alzheimers disease on February 8th 1999.

Peter Conradi