The lecture offers a fascinating journey through the thoughts of this inspirational and pioneering writer. Lessing has combined personal recollections and vivid imagery with an exploration of key challenges faced by contemporary modern society, such as poverty, inequality and a fragmenting culture. The result is a deeply moving testament to the permanent importance of literature. "The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2007 is awarded to the English writer Doris Lessing, that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny." Professor Horace Engdahl, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy