About Doris Lessing Retrospective

A b o u t   D o r i s   L e s s i n g :   A   R e t r o s p e c t i v e

This web site is a labor of love. I am, by no means, a writer or a scholar: I just love reading Doris Lessing's writing. Her books have educated and moved me for over 30 years and I feel she deserves a place of her own on the Internet.

Thank you to:

Doris Lessing for her enthusiasm for the web site. I am especially grateful for her sending copies of some of her books not available in America when I first created the web site.
Peter Braham for sending me the articles from The Guardian and to The Guardian and her agent, Jonathan Clowes Ltd., for permission to reprint them.
HarperCollinsPublishers, New York and Fourth Estate/HarperCollinsPublishers, London for the information they provided.
Chris Saunders for permission to use his amazing photo of Doris Lessing for the front page of this web site.

This site is basically a "catalog" of her books, with a scan of the cover and portrait of her (if there was one) and the description of the book from the jacket. I am featuring the British and American editions. Most have been reprinted in softcover or paperback and are widely available in multiple languages.

Her most recent book is Alfred and Emily which she announced is her final book.

For updates and information also see Email Announcements List.

All inquiries regarding publishing permissions, personal appearances, etc. should be directed to her agent, Jonathan Clowes Ltd.

Jan Hanford

Note: I do not have any additional information beyond what is included in the web site and I cannot answer personal requests for information or provide assistance with school work.

This site is neither "official" nor "commercial" in any way, and does not represent Doris Lessing or her publishers. It is my own personal project, and, therefore, reflects my own sensibilities. I am not aware of any copyright violations. If you feel a copyright has been violated please contact me via e-mail at