A family’s long wait: Savi Naipaul on years of hope for Nobel Prize for brother Vidia

For two decades, each October, the Naipaul family in Trinidad waited in hopeful anticipation for the Nobel Prize announcements, secretly wishing that V.S. Naipaul, affectionately known as Vidia, would be honored for his literary contributions.

In her memoir, The Naipauls of Nepaul Street, Savi Naipaul shares the family's journey and reflections, published by Speaking Tiger Books.

Savi recalls that by 1972, her brother Vidia, whose career had begun with The Mystic Masseur, had built a formidable literary legacy that merited serious consideration for the Nobel.

Her book provides an intimate look at the Naipaul family, tracing their origins from an Indian migrant background in Trinidad to the accomplishments and challenges that shaped them.

From 1972, when Australian writer Patrick White received the Nobel, until 1992, when Derek Walcott from St. Lucia and Trinidad was awarded the prize, the Naipaul family continued to hold on to their hopes each October, Savi writes.

“Every year, we hoped Vidia would be chosen by the committee. But Walcott’s win made us feel as if our hopes had come to an end. What were the odds that the Nobel committee would pick another writer from the West Indies so soon?”

Vidia, known for his uncompromising style and sometimes polarizing views, had not always fit the typical mold for the Nobel. “The committee was rumored to favor a more liberal perspective,” Savi notes, adding that this perceived bias likely hurt his chances.

Still, he continued to earn other notable accolades, many of which were new to the family.

Then in October 2001, their long-awaited day arrived. Savi remembers receiving the news in the early morning while on a treadmill at the gym: Vidia had won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The Swedish Academy commended him for “uniting perceptive narrative and uncompromising scrutiny in works that bring forth suppressed histories.”

Reflecting on that pivotal moment, she recalls feeling a surge of happiness, though her deepest emotions surfaced as she thought of their parents, who had already passed away. “When I thought of them, the tears came in full,” she shares.

The memoir paints a vivid picture of the Naipaul family’s remarkable story. Their father, Seepersad Naipaul, raised in a struggling Indian family in rural Trinidad, carved his path through self-study to become a respected journalist and writer.

'Their mother, Dropatie, gracefully balanced her marriage to an independent-minded husband with her ties to the traditional Capildeo family, one of Trinidad’s most established clans.

Savi’s recollections capture a powerful family story of resilience, devotion, and at times, inner conflict. The narrative explores her pride in her brothers’ accomplishments, the sadness of familial separations, and the tragic loss of her younger brother Shiva, who died young.

Her story also reflects on the broader cultural shifts in Trinidad, from colonial days to an independent nation, and explores the complexities of an Indian identity within a Creole society, where education served as a vehicle for migrant families to pursue new opportunities.

V.S. Naipaul, who authored over 30 books, including his acclaimed 1961 novel A House for Mr. Biswas, left an indelible mark on world literature before passing away on August 11, 2018.

Through The Naipauls of Nepaul Street, Savi offers a poignant tribute to her family’s unique heritage and the lifelong journey that ultimately saw her brother Vidia honored on the global stage.