V.S. Naipaul
(1932-2018), NovelistSir Vidiadhar Surajprasad ('V.S.') Naipaul
Sitter in 5 portraits
Trinidadian-born, of Indian descent, Naipaul's father was a journalist, giving him an early appreciation of reading and writing. On finishing school in Trinidad, he won a scholarship to study at Oxford University, where he met his future wife, critic and editor of his works, Patricia Ann Hale. His first novel The Mystic Masseur (1957) was followed by A House for Mr Biswas (1961), considered his most autobiographical and successful novel. Naipaul's literary themes include identity, exile and post-colonialism; he won the Booker Prize with In a Free State (1971). A prolific writer, he has published over thirty books in five decades. Knighted in 1990, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001.
by Paul Emsley
oil on canvas, 2009
NPG 6875
by Derry Moore, 12th Earl of Drogheda
bromide fibre print, 1972
NPG x126965
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.