Recently unearthed writings from Dame Iris Murdoch, the celebrated novelist and former fellow of the University of Oxford, will take center stage at an upcoming free humanities festival designed to bridge the gap between academic scholarship and community access. The Think Human festival at Oxford Brookes University will feature previously unpublished poems discovered in the attic of Murdoch's house on 30 Charlbury Road, offering the public a rare glimpse into the private creative world of one of Britain's most important literary voices.
Dame Iris was not only a novelist but also a philosopher, playwright and academic whose books explored morality, love and human relationships. Gary Browning, a committee member for the Think Human festival and an Emeritus Professor, said the Iris Murdoch Society had recently found the previously unpublished poems. Some of the poems will be read out at the Oxford Brookes University event, which aims to create connections between academics and the local community from 15-18 April.
Recovering Women's Philosophical Voices
Browning will lead a discussion titled Oxford Quartet: Women Philosophers Against the Tide on 17 April. The discussion will centre on the life and works of Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley and Booker Prize winner Dame Iris, who all came to Oxford as undergraduates in the 1930s. Browning said, "These women were much more inclined to be more objective in ethics and thought that we needed a strong support for ethics in philosophy."
He also said, "Anscombe, after the war, [felt very strongly that Oxford University should not give an honorary degree to Harry Truman, who dropped atomic bombs on Japan, and she was virtually alone in opposing this action." Browning said actress Annette Badland would read "a very moving" love poem about Anscombe by Dame Iris.
A Powerful Literary Legacy
The author won widespread acclaim with novels such as Under The Net, The Black Prince and The Sea, the Sea, as well as philosophical essays exploring morality. Browning said he had a "positive" response to the unearthed poems and that the one about love was "really quite powerful." The poems have been published in a collection called Poems from an Attic, which also includes a poem about her husband, historian Michael Foot.
Browning will also talk about two novels, one of which, Jerusalem, may never be published after Dame Iris left a note on the manuscript stating "Not for Publication, Ever."
Opening Knowledge to All
Events on motherhood, the legacy of new Labour and grassroots football are also part of the programme. Event director Prof Katharine Craik said the festival was for everybody. She said, "For me and for many of my colleagues who are running events this year, being human is about openness and having an interest in other people's lives, other people's communities, other people's realities, and bringing people into conversations."
Craik said she was looking forward to the event commemorating local history dedicated to Harriet Jacobs, who she described as "one of the most remarkable African-American figures of the 19th Century." Craik added there would also be a day event for schools on Friday "to enrich the kids' preparation for A-levels, but also to broaden their knowledge and understanding more generally of humanities subjects."
Browning called it an "absolutely fantastic occasion" where there "are always spirited conversations between the audience and the stage."
Why This Matters:
The recovery and public sharing of Iris Murdoch's lost poems represents more than a literary discovery—it embodies the principle that cultural heritage and intellectual life should be accessible to entire communities, not confined to elite academic circles. By offering free admission and deliberately creating connections between scholars and local residents, the Think Human festival challenges barriers that often exclude working families from engaging with the humanities. The focus on four women philosophers who challenged male-dominated academic institutions in the 1930s highlights ongoing questions about whose voices are preserved, celebrated, and made available to the public. The festival's inclusion of school programming recognizes that equitable access to knowledge begins with young people from all backgrounds, while its diverse topics—from motherhood to grassroots football—affirm that humanistic inquiry belongs to everyone, not just the privileged few.