HT Archives: Arundhati Roy wins Booker for her debut novel

Hindustan Times

24-05-2025

October 16, 1997
The imposing chandeliered Guildhall full of literati, academicians and well-known faces from the publishing world broke into a polite applause as the five judges announced their unanimous decision awarding the 29th Booker prize (around £21,000), so far, the most prestigious literary award in Britain, to 37-year-old Arundhati Roy from New Delhi for her first novel The God of Small Things. The award to her did not cause any flutter in the hall as she was a hot favourite to win.
Bookmakers Ladbrokes refused to take any more bets soon after noon on the 9/4 rated writer while booksellers were unanimously saying that Ms. Roy would easily win . Her closest rivals to start with were Nick Jackson (The Underground Man) and Jim Crace (Quarantine). But in the final discussions she beat the fancied Belfast-born Bernard Mac Lavert (Grace Notes) and Madeliene St. John (The Essence of The Thing).
Ms. Roy, wearing a maroon silk sari, was overwhelmed with emotion as people gathered round to congratulate her. She said, 'There is no book which has universal admiration... another set of judges would have chosen another book.' 'There is no such thing as a perfect book. If there had been five different judges there might have been another winner. It is as much luck as worthiness,' she added She averred that she would resist the urge to write a second novel.
'For me this prize is about my past. Having written this. I am back to square one. I do not know whether I will write another.' About the much criticised and controversial Booker prize awards she said. 'Reviews and prizes are somehow for readers more than writer.'
Ms Roy has proved Salman Rushdie right. He said during a discussion the night before the award that there are a lot of young writers who do not appear to be promising and one feels that the novel scene is dull, when suddenly a book comes up and the writer is acknowledged as talented. Ms. Roy has established herself firmly by walking away with the prize with her first novel, although voices of disappointments and dissent inevitably follow the judges' verdict almost every year.
At least no judge walked out of the meeting as one lady had done two years ago, refusing to endorse the majority choice. The decision this year, one learns, did not take long although naturally two more books on the list were initially discussed. In fact, the final list for consideration was heavily criticised for not including Ian McEwan's Enduring Love. The real reason for disappointment was that there was not a single writer from the London literary scene.
A very elated Tarun J. Tejpal of Indiaink, which published Ms. Roy's book, told this correspondent that he was naturally delighted but until the announcement he was sure that the award would go to someone else. 'Every factor was against it.' He explained that there was such a build-up for Ms. Roy's novel in the book world and such an overwhelming consensus for it to win the prize that he expected the judges, who tend to do their own thing, to choose some other writer. He expected them to be somewhat upset at almost being weighed down by the consensus that had built up.
It's also the Mother Teresa syndrome of doing good which often guides the judges. They generally decide to promote a new talent which needs promotion. Whereas, Mr Tejpal further added, Ms. Roy's book, despite being a hardback and a serious literary work (released on April 4 this year) had already sold 4,00,000 copies in the first six months. Its commercial success has been bewildering, Mr Tejpal said. A spokesperson of the booksellers. Waterstones, which has sold 300 hardback copies at one of their branches in London since June, agreed that 300 was a large number for a 'literary' book. 'If I was a betting man I would back it,' he said earlier in the evening.
Ms. Roy's 350-page book, which took four years to write, started a bidding war in the publishing world and reportedly fetched £1 million for the rights. It has been published in 19 and sold in 30 countries. It is so far the 16th most popular hardback here with 953 copies sold in the last seven days. Its sale is set to pick up now. Judge's panel chair Gillian Beer said after the award, 'With extraordinary linguistic inventiveness, Ms. Roy funnels the history of south India through the eyes of seven-year-old twins. The story is fundamental as well as local. It is about love and death yet tells its tale quite clearly. We were all engrossed by this novel'.
There were of course some dissenting notes. One lady critic told this correspondent that she developed such distaste for the book that she was sure the judges would pick it. 'Judges have such extraordinary tastes.' Another critic, Carmen Callil ,who chaired last year's panel, said, 'It has got a vulgarity about it that embarrasses me.'
From New Delhi
President K. R. Narayanan led the nation in congratulating Arundhati Roy.
'I was delighted to learn that you have been awarded the Booker prize this year. Please accept my hearty congratulations. All of us in India are proud of your achievement,' Mr Narayanan said in a letter to Ms. Roy.
'I feel particularly proud as you hail from my own district of Kottayam,' the President added on a personal note.
Prime Minister I. K. Gujral also felicitated Ms. Roy. He said the whole country took pride in this signal honour bestowed upon her.
Union Human Resource Development Minister S. R. Bommai also congratulated Ms. Roy. He said the novel indisputably portrays the problems and possibilities that characterize our society today. It was not only an excellent work of art but also an expression of conscience that exposes social ills like discrimination against women and against untouchables by casteist hierarchy, he added.
'This is a moment of celebration not only for writers of India but also for every one of its citizens,' Mr Bommai said, adding that Ms. Roy has added to the glorious achievements of Indian writing.