In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the complex life and controversial legacy of Sir V. S. Naipaul, the Trinidadian-British writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. Born in Chaguanas to the son of an indentured labourer, Naipaul traveled to Oxford on a scholarship determined "at last to write," only to face depression and a "nervous breakdown".

Join us as we explore:

• The Masterpieces: How Naipaul transformed his childhood memories into his breakthrough novel, A House for Mr Biswas, a book he later described as the "happiest years" of his life. We also look at his Booker Prize-winning In a Free State and his bleaker novels of alienation.

• The Controversy: From his "unflattering" travel writing in The Middle Passage to accusations of racism and misogy ...