Doris Lessing Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Doris May Lessing
Date of birth:
October 22. 1919
Place of birth:
Kermanshah, Persia (now Iran)
Astrology Sign:
Libra
Tags:
Biography
Doris Lessing is a British writer and winner of several awards for her writing and outspoken support of freedom and third world countries. Her first work, "The Grass is Singing" was published in 1950, and she continues writing to this day, with her most recent work being 2007's "The Cleft."
Lessing was born as Doris May Tayler in Kermanshah, Persia (now part of Iran) on October 22, 1919. Six years later, her family moved to Southern Rhodesia, a British colony in what is now Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the land the family purchased turned out not to grow crops as well as predicted, leaving the family stable but not as wealthy as her parents would have liked.
While Lessing went to a Roman Catholic girl's school while in Rhodesia, she was not Catholic, and at 15, she left school, preferring to education herself rather than attend classes. She continued this self education for years, often channeling what she was learning about into her writing. First, she wrote on social issues, then she produced a rash of psychological works during the late 50's and 60's, and finally, she turned the major focus of her writing to the mystic tradition of Sufism, which is associated with Islam. She would continue to write about all three subjects, sometimes discussing them frankly, sometimes crouching them within science fiction or other settings.
Despite the fact that her novels are often cited as feminist, especially "The Golden Notebook," Lessing has stated that she does not want to be labeled a feminist author, and she prefers to think of her "Canopus in Argos" series as her most important work. She is also fond of her short stories about cats.
While a prolific writer, Lessing rarely attends events; in fact, her first writing festival was the Bath Literature Festival in 2007, in which Lessing read from "The Cleft" and answered questions. She also announced that she is slowly going deaf from the anti-malarial pills she took as a child.
Lessing has won a number of awards, including the Prince of Astruia Prize in Literature, the David Cohen British Literature Prize, and was named a Campanion of Honour. She was also awarded a damehood by the British royal family, but Lessing declined the honor.
Lessing was born as Doris May Tayler in Kermanshah, Persia (now part of Iran) on October 22, 1919. Six years later, her family moved to Southern Rhodesia, a British colony in what is now Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the land the family purchased turned out not to grow crops as well as predicted, leaving the family stable but not as wealthy as her parents would have liked.
While Lessing went to a Roman Catholic girl's school while in Rhodesia, she was not Catholic, and at 15, she left school, preferring to education herself rather than attend classes. She continued this self education for years, often channeling what she was learning about into her writing. First, she wrote on social issues, then she produced a rash of psychological works during the late 50's and 60's, and finally, she turned the major focus of her writing to the mystic tradition of Sufism, which is associated with Islam. She would continue to write about all three subjects, sometimes discussing them frankly, sometimes crouching them within science fiction or other settings.
Despite the fact that her novels are often cited as feminist, especially "The Golden Notebook," Lessing has stated that she does not want to be labeled a feminist author, and she prefers to think of her "Canopus in Argos" series as her most important work. She is also fond of her short stories about cats.
While a prolific writer, Lessing rarely attends events; in fact, her first writing festival was the Bath Literature Festival in 2007, in which Lessing read from "The Cleft" and answered questions. She also announced that she is slowly going deaf from the anti-malarial pills she took as a child.
Lessing has won a number of awards, including the Prince of Astruia Prize in Literature, the David Cohen British Literature Prize, and was named a Campanion of Honour. She was also awarded a damehood by the British royal family, but Lessing declined the honor.