Winning the Nobel prize is widely seen as one of the greatest honours a person can receive. But writer Doris Lessing, who won the award in literature last year, calls it 'a bloody disaster', Britain’s Times newspaper reports.

The 88-year-old novelist said in an interview that her life is being constantly disrupted ever since she took the prize. “All I do is give interviews and spend time being photographed,” she complained.

The attitude contrasts with the enthusiasm Lessing had when she just received the news from journalists last October. Then the renowned British writer said it was 'a royal flush'.

In the interview, Lessing also revealed that she’d already spent most of the money from the award.

“It has gone to my children, my grandchildren, my extended family,” she said, adding that she would rather get rid of it than let the taxmen get it.