Empire: World History 315. Controversy, Colonialism, & V.S. Naipaul
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Dec 11, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Pulitzer Prize winner Ben Moser, biographer of Susan Sontag, delves into the controversial life of V.S. Naipaul. They explore his struggles at Oxford and how his Trinidadian roots shaped his worldview. Moser highlights Naipaul's early comic novels and his evolving stance on race and colonialism. The conversation touches on his critical works about postcolonial societies and the disputes he ignited, particularly with Salman Rushdie. Moser ultimately reflects on Naipaul's complex legacy in literature and the postcolonial landscape.
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Gentle Mentor Behind A Fearsome Image
- Ben Moser recalled Naipaul as unexpectedly kind to a young publishing newbie despite the writer's fearsome public reputation.
- William Dalrymple also remembered Naipaul being generous and unexpectedly engaging at a Christie's lunch.
English As Both Tool And Ambition
- Naipaul's relationship to English was central: colonially taught English pointed to 'high civilisation' and gave him literary ambition.
- That borrowed language became the vehicle for portraying societies absent from mainstream literature.
Cities After Empire As New Subjects
- Post‑war London became a new global metropolis filled with displaced peoples, which Naipaul saw as a defining subject for modern literature.
- He recognised the 'implosion of empire' and the novel possibilities it created for writing.
