About
Doris Lessing, born Doris May Tayler in Persia (now Iran) in 1919, grew up in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). After leaving school at 14, she worked various jobs before moving to London in 1949. Her first novel, The Grass Is Singing (1950), explores racial tensions in southern Africa. Her major work, The Golden Notebook (1962), is considered a landmark feminist text. She also wrote the Children of Violence series, science fiction novels (Canopus in Argos), short stories, poetry, plays, and two volumes of autobiography. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007, she left her mark on literature through her exploration of female experiences and social divisions.
* 1919-10-22 — † 2013-11-17
Major works
- The Grass Is Singing (1950)novel
- The Golden Notebook (1962)novel
- Children of Violence (1952–1969)novel series
- Canopus in Argos: Archives (1979–1983)science fiction series
- Under My Skin (1994)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1962Publication of The Golden Notebook, considered a masterpiece and a major feminist work.
- 2007Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the oldest recipient at the time.
- 2013Dies in London at the age of 94.
Themes
Female experienceRacial conflictSocial divisionPolitics and ideologyScience fiction and speculation
Sources: nobelprize.org · fpa.es · britannica.com
