Arundhati Roy

Frequently asked questions

• What is Arundhati Roy best known for?

  Arundhati Roy is widely recognized for her debut novel, The God of Small Things, which earned her the Booker Prize. Beyond her fiction, she is also known for her extensive non-fiction writing and activism on political and social issues.

• Does Arundhati Roy write in a series?

  Arundhati Roy's novels, The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, are standalone works. Her non-fiction often consists of essays and collections that can be read independently.

• Has Arundhati Roy won any major awards?

  Arundhati Roy won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things. She has also received other accolades for her literary and activist work.

• What is a good starting point for Arundhati Roy's books?

  For readers interested in her fiction, The God of Small Things is an excellent starting point as it is her most celebrated novel. If you prefer non-fiction, her essay collections offer insightful perspectives on contemporary issues.

• Has Arundhati Roy won any awards for her activism?

  Yes. Arundhati Roy was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize in 2004, recognizing her advocacy for human rights and non-violence, including her opposition to the Narmada dam projects and to nuclear weapons. In 2024 she received the PEN Pinter Prize from English PEN, sharing the award with the imprisoned British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah, whom she named as the "Writer of Courage."