Iris Murdoch was a prolific writer, completing 26 novels and several philosophy books in her lifetime. She still holds the record for most Booker Prize shortlistings (a joint record with Margaret Atwood) and the Booker Prize trophy has recently been renamed the 'Iris' in her honour. This month, we've picked The Black Prince, which was shortlisted for the Booker in 1973, as our Book of the Month. It's a part-thriller, part-love story that follows Bradley Pearson – an elderly writer with a ‘block’. Adding and contributing to his torment are a host of predatory friends and relations: his melancholic sister, his ex-wife and her delinquent brother, and a younger, deplorably successful writer, Arnold Baffin.

In this episode Jo and James share:

• Their thoughts on Iris Murdoch's novels
• Why Murdoch was an exceptionally funny writer, as well as a gifted one
• A brief biography of Murdoch
• A summary of The Black Prince
• What they thought about The Black Prince
• Who should read The Black Prince

Reading list:

• The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-black-prince
• The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-sea-the-sea
• Under the Net by Iris Murdoch
• A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch
• The Bloater by Rosemary Tonks

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices