The British author, Doris Lessing, was born in Iran to British parents on 22 October 1919 and died 17 November 2013. Her family moved to the former colony of Southern Rhodesia, today's Zimbabwe, when Doris was six years old, and she grew up in Africa. After two failed marriages, she moved to London, England in 1949.

Her novels and short stories cover a wide range of themes, such as communism, social issues, feminism and psychology: "They ranged from the problems of post-colonial Africa to the politics of nuclear power, the emergence of a new woman's voice and the spiritual dimensions of 20th century civilization." (The Guardian, Sunday 17 November 2013) She won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007.

You can read more about Doris Lessing and listen to some interviews she gave to The Guardian at the following links:
The Guardian Books - Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing, Five Best Novels