Lessing criticises trend towards young writers

The author Doris Lessing took a swipe at the cult of young photogenic women writers yesterday when she described how she had championed the work of a middle-aged farmer from Norfolk whose work of the past 10 years is finally to be published.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Lessing, who is 83 and has written 50 books, revealed that the first novel of David Austen, a man she befriended after he attended one of her lectures and asked for advice, has just been bought by Cape, part of the Random House publishing group. But Mr Austen has been away sailing with his family, which means that the audience attending Lessing's talk has been told before him.

She said: "This week I have achieved the impossible. I have been interested in [the writing of] a middle-aged man, a farmer from Norfolk, who for 10 years now has been sweating ... with a very difficult little book. He's not 20 years old, he does not have boobs, he does not photograph very well, and this week Cape bought his first book. What an achievement – this difficult book is going to be published."

She revealed the story when she was asked about the life of a writer. She said life was very different for young novelists today compared with when she was starting out. Writers then expected the "long haul" and were prepared to defer financial rewards and recognition. But Lessing then told the story of Mr Austen, who is not the trendy young writer beloved of today's publishers, and described how she had been trying to get him published.

His struggle is in contrast to celebrated new writers such as Zadie Smith, who found fame and rewards with her first novel, White Teeth, written while she was an undergraduate, and Andrea Ashworth, aged 30 when Once in a House on Fire was published.

After her talk, Lessing described Mr Austen's novel, A Clear Calling, as being very atmospheric and somewhat like the works of Joseph Conrad, the author of Heart of Darkness, Nostromo and The Secret Agent among others.

"It's about a seaman and the sea. It's a very mysterious book," she said. "It's a very great moment. I'm sure he's going to do well. But he's gone on a sailing holiday so he won't get this news until he's back."