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The editors of a new collection of the correspondence of one of the 20th-century’s greatest writers, Iris Murdoch, discuss the author’s life and enduring appeal.

In Living on Paper: Letters from Iris Murdoch 1934-1995, Professor Avril Horner and Dr Anne Rowe have drawn together Murdoch’s most interesting and important letters written over more than 60 years. They reveal a young and unsure Murdoch struggling with philosophical issues, her anguish when a novel is not coming together, her involvement in world events, and her explorations of sensuality. The letters throw light on a complex personal life and Murdoch’s tendency to live life on the edge of what was socially acceptable.

Horner is an emeritus professor of English at Kingston University and an expert in women’s writing and Gothic fiction. She has also co-authored works on Edith Wharton and Daphne du Maurier. Rowe is associate professor in English literature at Kingston University and director of its Iris Murdoch Archive Project. She has published widely on Murdoch.

Discussions are chaired by Professor Helen Taylor, former head of English at Exeter University, who has written widely on American and English literature.

This event is part of the festival’s women in society programme sponsored by HSBC.