Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin, grew up in London, and received her university education at Oxford and Cambridge. For many years she taught philosophy at Oxford. She was the author of twenty-six novels, and also wrote several works of philosophy, criticism, and drama.

She was an author of universal acclaim. Her novels tackled everyday ethical and moral concerns, exploring the function of myth in making sense of one's life. She won the Booker prize in 1978 for The Sea, The sea. In addition to books, she was also a playwright, her most successful play being "Servants and the Snow." Most recently, her husband wrote and participated in the film dedicated to her life and works.