On this day...

Irish-born British author Iris Murdoch was born in 1919. Raised initially in Dublin, Murdoch moved to London at a young age, leaving behind her sheep-farming ancestry to graduate in Classics, ancient history and philosophy at Oxford. It was while at university that she became a member of the Communist Party, joining future Labour politicians such as Denis Healy. However, in order to secure a job at HM Treasury, she left - the party's aims also beginning to conflict with her own burgeoning philosophical views.

So involved was Murdoch in her academia, that it wasn't until 1954 that she wrote her first novel, 'Under the Net', yet she then went on to produce a further 25, finding inspiration from the likes of Shakespeare, Eliot and Dostoevsky. Her most famous works include Booker Prize Winning 'The Sea, the Sea', and 'A Fairly Honourable Defeat', which was recently on the long list to win the Lost Man Booker Prize of 1970. Named as one of 'The 50 greatest British writers since 1945', Murdoch's work is well-respected both at home and abroad. She died in 1999, at the age of 79.

Better late than never...

Authors whose books were published in the year of 1970 are set to gain the recognition they deserve. One of the most illustrious literary awards, the Man Booker Prize, has come to the realisation that a change in their rules forty years ago, denied the likes of Iris Murdoch and Melvyn Bragg from ever becoming recipients. The award traditonally honoured books published in the previous year, yet in 1971, it was decided that instead it would be given to the best novel published in that year, rendering 1970 to be lost in statisitcs. Now organisers will redress the balance with a special award; 'The Lost Man Booker Prize'. The director of the initiative has described 1970 as a 'remarkable year for fiction written in English', saying that 'recognition for these novels and the eventual winner is long overdue'. The longlist includes names such as Muriel Spark, Iris Murdoch, David Lodge, Melvyn Bragg and Nina Bawden. After the shortlist announcment in March, public voting through the Man Booker website will determine the overall winner to be revealed in May.