Nobel Committee member discusses 2007 Literature Nobel Prize

Horace Engdahl reveals how Doris Lessing's 'second peak', in which she created some of the most marvellous books ever written about women, Britain and the Old Empire, was a big factor in awarding her the Literature Prize.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Nobel
• Prize
• Laureate
• Literature
• Announcement
• 2007
• Doris
• Lessing
• Winner

[slovakmath]

i thought she had a book of poetry that came out in her early career: 50's or 60's

[Scott89119]

Lessing was such a great pick. She makes up for all the Pamuks, Jelineks and le Clezios combined.

[postalsock]

Agreed even though a few of my favorite authors won the nobel prize. Steinbeck and Hemingway.

[verdi0381]

The Nobel is an representative award of the elite literary european world. They looks only european writers. ¿Can ignore names like Sabato,Roth,Fuentes...etc?

[mannas]

He did not make a genealization about all American authors. He said that in all big cultures there are great writers, and in other interviews he has mentioned a few comtemporary American aurhors that he likes.

[thtphatcat]

Well obviously he DID lie, because if you review his public statements for the past month, you'll see him make foul generalizations about how ALL authors from some countries are ignorant etc etc and are not worth consideration. He is biased and ignorant.

[corehex]

they do compare authors equally based on where they are from, horace said in an interview on swedish radio that it's in alfred nobels testament that they should not take in consideration where authors are from,

do you think horace would lie about this? you'd have to be a very bad person to ignore ones testament, and I don't think horace engdahl would be this gruesome person

[thtphatcat]

The Nobel Prize in Literature means NOTHING because the committee is biased. I am not saying the people on the committee are not intelligent, but they do not compare authors equally based on where they are from, which is really sad and pathetic.

[SEATRIALS]

pro

[68generation]

You are really ignorant because she is one of the most brilliant & powerful writers of our time!! She has faced all kinds of issues and extremely varied genres of literature while the writers you mention are good but nothing compared to her and...like you said very limited, thus sidelined!!

[Stalebrant]

He is fluent in 8 languages, som are: Swedish, English, French, Russian, Spanish, German, Italian and something else

[m8ns1]

He speakes English pretty well, he was about to fool me.

[JackEriksson]

He said that: "all genres EXCEPT poetry as far as I can see"

[seans10]

When you look at the list of names of writers who were eligible but who didn't get the Prize--a list as impressive as the list of those who did--it makes the point that not everyone who gets it deserves it.

[pgrnair]

What a pity that this prize was given to Doris lessing, a minor sensation in literature. Literary idiots are sitting there in sweden to make a mockery of this prize. When shall I see Carlos Fuentes or Vargas Llosa winning the prize. The guys have totally sidelined latin American writers.........PGR Nair

[BeurreCorporel]

He is the head of the Swedish Academy, which decides who wins the Nobel Prixe in litterature.

[IseultCharms]

She was born in Iran.

[davidetal]

She is a Zimbabwean, not English...but you beat the Wallabies, bloody hell.

[fegibbard95]

Hurrah we in England cannot win at sport but our writers win the big one sometimes. A triumph late but not too late for Doris Lessing.