Who was Doris Lessing? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In October

Also Known As: Doris May Lessing, Doris May Tayler

Died At Age: 94

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Frank Charles Wisdom (1939–1943), Gottfried Anton Nicolai Lessing (1945–1949)

father: Captain Alfred Tayler

mother: Emily Maude Tayler

children: Jean Wisdom, John Wisdom, Peter Lessing

Nobel Laureates In Literature Novelists

Died on: November 17, 2013

place of death: London, England

More Facts

awards: 1954 - Somerset Maugham Award
1976 - Prix Médicis étranger
1981 - Austrian State Prize for European Literature

1982 - Shakespeare-Preis der Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F. V. S.
Hamburg
1986 - WH Smith Literary Award
1987 - Palermo Prize
1987 - Premio Internazionale Mondello
1989 - Grinzane Cavour Prize
1995 - James Tait Black Memorial Prize
1995 - Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1999 - Premi Internacional Catalunya ()
1999 - Order of the Companions of Honour
2000 - Companion of Literature of the Royal Society of Literature
2001 - David Cohen Prize
2001 - Premio Príncipe de Asturias
2002 - S.T. Dupont Golden PEN Award
2007 - Nobel Prize in Literature

Recommended For You

1

What are the major themes in Doris Lessing's writing?

Doris Lessing's writing often explores themes such as feminism, politics, social issues, psychological complexities, and the human condition.
2

What impact did Doris Lessing have on the literary world?

Doris Lessing is known for her powerful and thought-provoking works that have had a significant impact on literature, particularly in the realms of feminist literature and social commentary.
3

What is the significance of Doris Lessing's novel The Golden Notebook?

"The Golden Notebook" is considered a groundbreaking work in feminist literature for its exploration of female identity and its innovative narrative structure that challenges traditional storytelling conventions.
4

How did Doris Lessing's experiences influence her writing?

Doris Lessing drew inspiration from her upbringing in Southern Africa, her involvement in political movements, and her personal struggles, which are often reflected in her diverse and impactful body of work.
5

What are some notable works by Doris Lessing besides The Golden Notebook?

In addition to "The Golden Notebook," Doris Lessing's notable works include "The Grass is Singing," "The Fifth Child," and "Memoirs of a Survivor," among others.

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Childhood & Early Life

Doris Lessing was born to British couple, Emily Maude and Captain Alfred Tayler. Alfred’s leg was amputated during his WWI service; he was employed as a clerk for the Imperial Bank of Persia.

In 1925, the family shifted to Southern Rhodesia, then a British colony, where they farmed on a land owned by Alfred. They could not afford the Edwardian lifestyle that Emily yearned for.

Doris attended the Dominican Convent High School, a Roman Catholic school in Salisbury until she was fourteen. She began to work as a nursemaid, and would read any material that her employer gave her.

She was employed as a telephone operator in Salisbury. In the next few years, following her marriage to Frank Wisdom at nineteen, two children were born to her. She divorced her husband in 1943.

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Recommended Lists:

Women Novelists

British Novelists

Career

Lessing was attracted to the Left Book Club, a Socialist publishing club. She joined the group, married and later divorced her second husband Gottfried Lessing. She shifted to London with her son, Peter.

Her first novel, ‘The Grass Is Singing’, was published in 1950. Set in Southern Rhodesia of the decade before, it describes the racial tension there. The book created a stir in the literary circles.

From 1952 to 1969, she penned a series of five novels –‘Children of Violence’, depicting its protagonist, Martha Quest’s life time from a rebellious teenager to an active independent old woman.

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, her novel, ‘Briefing for a Descent into Hell’, published in 1971, takes us on a terrifying psychological voyage to the inner recesses of our minds.

Her 1974 novel, ‘Memoirs of a Survivor’, is a dark futuristic work set at a time when people are fighting for survival in a barbaric world, having no family values or morals.

‘Canopus in Argos: Archives’, a series of five soft science fiction novels published between 1979 and 1983, portray various societies at different stages of development, and show the influence of Sufism.

In the eighties, she published two novels, ‘The Diary of a Good Neighbor’, and ‘If the Old could’ under the pseudonym, Jane Somers. The novels have a common protagonist, Janna Somers.

‘The Fifth Child’, a metaphorical short novel published in 1988, illustrates the adjustments in the happy life of a married couple after the birth of Ben, a violent and dysfunctional child.

‘The Sweetest Dream’, published in 2001, covers the period from the1960s to 1980s. The novel begins in the 1960s leading up to the 1980s, and is set mostly in the fictional African nation, Zimlia.

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‘The Cleft’, published in 2007, is the history of the Clefts, an ancient community of women, narrated by an old Roman senator. The Clefts always produced female; the birth of a boy threatens them.

‘Alfred and Emily’, the 2008 novel is both fictional and biographical. The first part imagines how her parents would have lived had the first world war not happened, while the second part describes how they actually survived.

She has written several nonfiction works, including books about cats, ‘Under My Skin: Volume One of My Autobiography, to 1949’, and ‘Walking in the Shade’, the second volume of her autobiography.

She performed the Librettos in two operas, ‘The Making of the Representative for Planet 8’ and ‘The Marriages between Zones Three, Four and Five’, composed by Philip Glass.

Major Works

Lessing’s 1962 novel, ‘The Golden Notebook’, is an anti-war and anti-Stalinist statement, and scrutinizes the women's liberation movements. Included to TIME’s 100 best English-language novels list, this masterpiece was translated to many languages.

Her 1985 novel ‘The Good Terrorist’ has Alice Mellings, a veteran squatter, as the protagonist. It explains how individuals inspired by revolutionary ideas transform into actual terrorists by circumstances, and is relevant even now.

Awards

In 1976, Lessing’s novel, ‘The Golden Notebook’, was awarded The Prix M�dicis, a French literary award given to new writers. Ten years later, she won the WH Smith Literary Award for ‘The Good Terrorist’.

In 1994, the writer won two major awards for her autobiographical work, ‘Under My Skin: Volume One of My Autobiography’ – James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

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Her contribution to literature was recognized with the Austrian State Prize for European Literature, The David Cohen Prize, Prince of Asturias Award, and The Golden Pen Award.

She declined an OBE in 1977, as the “Empire is non-existent”. She was appointed Companion of Honor for "conspicuous national service" and named a Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature.

In 2007, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the 11th woman to win the prestigious prize. The Swedish Academy described her as an "epicist of the female experience”.

Personal Life & Legacy

Lessing had two children from her first husband Frank Wisdom – John and Jean.

Her second marriage to Gottfried Lessing produced a son, but the marriage ended in a divorce in 1949.

Putting her career before her children, she left her children from her first marriage and moved to London. She declared, “I felt I wasn't the best person to bring them up”.

Doris Lessing died on 17 November 2013, at the age of 94, at her home in London.

Facts About Doris Lessing

Doris Lessing was known for her unconventional approach to writing, often blending elements of science fiction and realism in her work.

She famously rejected the label of being a feminist writer, stating that she preferred to be seen simply as a writer, regardless of gender.

Lessing was an avid cat lover and had a deep connection with her feline companions, often incorporating them into her writing.

Despite her literary success, Lessing remained humble and down-to-earth, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself as a writer.

Doris Lessing Biography

You wanted to know

What are the major themes in Doris Lessing's writing?

What impact did Doris Lessing have on the literary world?

What is the significance of Doris Lessing's novel The Golden Notebook?

How did Doris Lessing's experiences influence her writing?

What are some notable works by Doris Lessing besides The Golden Notebook?