Iris Murdoch’s Hidden Poems Spark Festival Buzz in Oxford

Dame Iris Murdoch was a well-known British novelist and philosopher who wrote many books about morality, love, and human relationships. Recently, some of her poems that had never been published before were discovered in the attic of her old house in Oxford. These poems had been hidden away for years, and now they are going to be shared with the public for the first time at a special festival. The festival, called Think Human, will take place at Oxford Brookes University and is free for everyone to attend.

One of the highlights of the festival will be actress Annette Badland reading some of Iris Murdoch's newly found poems. Among these is a touching love poem written about fellow philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe. The festival will also feature a discussion led by Professor Gary Browning, who is a member of the Iris Murdoch Society. He will talk about Iris Murdoch and three other important women philosophers who studied at Oxford in the 1930s. These women, including Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, and Mary Midgley, were known for their strong ideas about ethics and the importance of being objective when thinking about right and wrong.

The poems that were found have now been published in a collection called Poems from an Attic. Some of the poems are about Iris Murdoch's husband, historian Michael Foot, and others explore different themes like love and relationships. The festival will also include events about motherhood, the history of the Labour Party, and local football. There will be a special day for schools to help students prepare for their exams and learn more about the humanities. The organizers of the festival say that it is meant to bring people together and encourage open conversations about different topics. They hope that by sharing Iris Murdoch's lost poems and other interesting stories, people will feel more connected to each other and inspired to learn more about the world around them.