V(idiadhar) S(urajprasad) Naipaul was born in Chaguanas, Trinidad in 1932. His father was a journalist and a writer of short stories. He won a scholarship to Oxford University but he was not particularly happy there. After Oxford, he worked for the BBC as a writer and editor. He started writing short stories but his first published book was the novel The Mystic Masseur. However, it was his fourth novel, A House for Mr. Biswas, which is often recognised as his most successful novel. He has since produced a body of work, consisting of stories, novels and travel writing. He won the Nobel Prize in 2001. He has come in for much criticism. He has been very harsh about many other writers, has been accused of showing little sympathy for the developing world and has been critical of Islam.
Books about V S Naipaul
Patrick French: The World Is What It Is: The Authorized Biography of V. S. Naipaul