written by Susan Barranca

Dorris Lessing won the Nobel Peace Prize for literature on Wednesday. She had mixed reactions to the news though; she was honored and thrilled but not as thrilled as one would expect. She greeted the news of her win by saying, "I couldn't care less." Her exact words on the subject made her seem a bit fed up with the whole prize "ordeal?" I don't know many people who consider being honored with the nobel peace prize an ordeal.

She was raised in Zimbabwe, and her novels deal with living in a colonized society. Her acceptance speech held a plea to others to look to Zimbabwe for untold riches of literature. Harper Collins (Lessing's publisher) is donating 10,000 copies of her books to the schools of Zimbabwe in honor of Lessing.

Lessing also urged the world to remember the importance of books and stories: in essence, the printed word. She is worried that today's society only wants quick information, like that found on the internet. Lessing wants the world to keep turning to the pages of information in literature.

Even though she seemed not to care about the award when she heard the news, she was also partly thrilled. Her acceptance speech was more thankful and appreciative than her original reaction.

Some of Lessing's novels include The Grass is Singing and The Golden Notebook.