Iris Murdoch and the natural world
2026
Live online course
Sundays, 15 March to 10 May 2026, 6.00 to 8.00 pm British Time
Detailed course description to follow shortly.
Live online course: five lectures and seminars with Miles Leeson, Sundays, fortnightly, 15 March to 10 May 2026, 6.00 to 8.00 pm.
Dr Miles Leeson is Director of the Iris Murdoch Research Centre at the University of Chichester, UK. He has previously led courses on Murdoch's London, Murdoch's Gothic, and Murdoch and Love for Literature Cambridge. This is our fifth annual Murdoch course.
Lecture list
Lecture 1. 15 March 2026. The Unicorn (1963)
Lecture 2. 29 March 2026. The Sea, The Sea (1978)
Lecture 3. 12 April 2026. Nuns and Soldiers (1980)
Lecture 4. 26 April 2026. The Good Apprentice (1985)
Lecture 5. 10 May 2026. The Message to the Planet (1989)
Set texts
Iris Murdoch, The Unicorn
Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
Iris Murdoch, Nuns and Soldiers
Iris Murdoch, The Good Apprentice
Iris Murdoch, The Message to the Planet
Optional further reading
John Bayley, The Iris Trilogy: Memoirs of Iris Murdoch (2020)
Peter Conradi, biography of Iris Murdoch (2001)
Links
• Iris Murdoch Podcast
• Iris Murdoch Research Centre, University of Chichester
• Iris Murdoch Society
• Peter Conradi, obituary of Iris Murdoch, Guardian, 9 February 1999.
• Iris Murdoch Review
Course fees for 5 sessions
£260 full price
£230 students on a low income
£230 CAMcard holders
£230 Members of the Iris Murdoch Society
Prices include 20% VAT
Zoom link
We will send you a Zoom link by email approximately 24 hours before the course begins. If the link does not arrive, please let us know by email in good time, at least an hour before the session begins, so we can re-send.
Recordings
This is a 5-session course, with a live online lecture and seminar each fortnight. The lectures are recorded so that participants can listen again during the course if they wish. The seminars are not recorded.
If you cannot attend a course you have booked
Please note that, because places are limited, we cannot give refunds if you cannot attend a course. But if you contact us in advance, we might be able to transfer your booking to a different course.
Comment from the first Iris Murdoch course:
‘Dr. Leeson is a wonderful speaker on Murdoch, and has an amazingly expansive knowledge of her oeuvre. His lectures opened up a new world of resources to dive into. It was really a treat to attend these fortnightly lectures, and to spend time with other people who wanted to explore Murdoch's novels. I can't wait to pick up where we left off with the Gothic series.’ – Beth, Brighton, UK