British writer Doris Lessing, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in literature, smiles as she talks to members of the media, shortly after the announcement of the award, outside her home in north London, Thursday Oct. 11, 2007. Lessing, who turns 88 in a week, is the oldest person to be honored with the prestigious awards given by the Swedish Academy. Lessing's work, which has drawn heavily from her time living in Africa, has explored the divide between whites and blacks. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) Lefteris Pitarakis