Perhaps the times were like that before Mandela emerged and disappeared for 21 years in prison. The colonial masters in the earlier centuries produced some good literature, as they maintained the district gazetteers and had plenty of time in hand to record colourful impressions in black and white.

I have a couple of such books in my personal library written by the white sahibs in tropical climes, of life in the old British Malay (now Malaysia). The white big game hunters in India and Malay wrote superb stories, but they wrote freely about animals in the jungle, not on human society.

I also have a book in collection authored by the previous Nobel winner on literature from South Africa who was a lady. Both these writers lived on different themes, as did Mahfuz, the Egyptian winner.

Bharati Mookerji falls into the same class of observers; but Brick Lane has more shallowness than depth. It is hoped that other literary critics would provide the readers with a bird's eye view of what is in the minds of the Nobel award committee.