Doris Lessing, the prolific English novelist who crafted her reputation as a critic of colonial African society, but whose career has spanned an occasionally bewildering range of styles and genres, has been awarded the Nobel prize for Literature at the age of 87.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Thursday described Ms Lessing as “that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny.”