Interview

Interview with the 2007 Nobel Laureate in Literature Doris Lessing at her home in London, 14 April 2008. The interviewer is Professor John Mullan.

Doris Lessing talks about the inspiration for her first book, 'The Grass is Singing', the autobiographical nature of her 'Children of Violence' sequence of novels (10:29), 'The Golden Notebook' (12:23) and how it became a cult book (21:30), and why she took a foray into science fiction writing with her 'Canopus in Argos' series of novels (22:50). She also talks about the two novels she published under the pseudonym Jane Somers (26:45), why her autobiographies go no further than 1962 (36:55), and being an earth mother in the 1960s (37:20). Finally, she discusses her latest novel, 'Alfred and Emily', which explores the life of her parents and the horrors of war (44:30).

Telephone interview with Doris Lessing following the announcement of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature, 11 October 2007. The interviewer is Adam Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Nobelprize.org.