English Writer Doris Lessing Wins Nobel Literature Prize

[babylonsister]

Lessing Wins Nobel Literature Prize


MATT MOORE and KARL RITTER | October 11, 2007 08:58 AM EST | AP



STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Doris Lessing, author of dozens of works from short stories to science fiction, including the classic "The Golden Notebook," won the Nobel Prize for literature Thursday. She was praised by the judges for her "skepticism, fire and visionary power."

The Swedish academy's announcement was stunning even by the standards of Nobel judges, who have been known for such surprises as Austria's Elfriede Jelinek and Italy's Dario Fo.

Lessing, 11 days short of her 88th birthday, is the oldest choice ever for a prize that usually goes to authors in their 50s and 60s. Although she is widely celebrated for "The Golden Notebook" and other works, she has received little attention in recent years and has been criticized as strident and eccentric.

Even Lessing apparently was not expecting to win, the academy's permanent secretary Horace Engdahl told The Associated Press.

"I've phoned her but there's been no answer. She was not sitting and waiting for my call," Engdahl said. "She doesn't know yet, and I'm afraid she's out taking a stroll somewhere in the park and people will attack her with the news."

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071011/nobel-literature/

[Terran]

1. Good choice

I'm a big fan of Lessing's Canopus in Argos series from way back. I think her work is brilliant and she richly deserves this recognition.

[EFerrari]

6. I still love that series. It's one of the best I've ever read.

All the different kinds of worlds and beings she imagines; all the different kinds of modalities. It was just amazing. :thumbsup:

[Terran]

7. And as a SF fan since the age of 10...

it's especially cool to see someone who's written a major work of science fiction receive the highest honor possible!

[EFerrari]

8. I'm not a huge SF fan. But I liked that series so much

I used several of the shorter works in my English 1A and 1B classes. The classes especially liked The Marriages, iirc. I would divide up the guys into "Zones" -- it was fun! :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. From BBC interview: "I'm very pleased"

She recalled that, in the 1960s, "they sent one of their minions especially to tell me they didn't like me at the Nobel Prize and I would never get it".

"So now they've decided they're going to give it to me. So why? I mean, why do they like me any better now than they did then?"

The author, who turns 88 on 22 October, said she thought she had become more respectable with age.

"They can't give a Nobel to someone who's dead so I think they were probably thinking they had better give it to me now before I popped off," she said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7039100.stm

[babylonsister]

4. "...before I popped off" That's a riot! How sweet! nt

[MonkeyFunk]

3. No kidding!?!

Good for her!

[EFerrari]

5. AWESOME! It's about time.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[JitterbugPerfume]

9. a really cool choice and

she deserves it!