Latest news with #BookerPrize-winning
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Arundhati Roy's memoir ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me' to hit shelves on September 2- read these 5 books while you wait
Booker prize-winning writer Arundhati Roy's memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me will hit the stands on September 2, publisher Penguin Random House India (PRHI) announced on Monday. The book, currently available for pre-orders online, unravels Roy's deeply personal experiences of becoming the person and writer she is, 'shaped most profoundly by her complex bond with her extraordinary, singular mother, women's rights activist Mary Roy, whom she ran from at age 18'. While we wait for Roy's highly anticipated memoir to hit shelves, here are five of her books to dive into now. From her Booker Prize-winning debut to her political essays, Roy's work is sure to keep you engrossed in the meantime. Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize-winning debut novel, The God of Small Things, is considered a cornerstone of postcolonial literature. Set in 1960s Kerala, it follows fraternal twins Rahel and Estha, whose lives unravel amid caste oppression and familial hypocrisy. Roy's lyrical prose and non-linear narrative expose the brutality of societal norms, interwoven with themes of love, loss, and forbidden boundaries. The novel's critique of India's caste system and moral rigidity earned global acclaim, translated into 40+ languages. Its vivid imagery—from pickle factories to riverbanks—immerses readers in a world where 'small things' shape destinies. A tragic yet poetic exploration of childhood innocence and adult complicity, the book remains a defining work of contemporary fiction, cementing Roy's place as a literary icon. Two decades after her debut, Roy returned with The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, a sprawling saga of India's marginalised. Longlisted for the Booker, the novel interlaces stories of transgender activist Anjum, Kashmiri rebel Musa, and abandoned baby Tilo, blending magical realism with sharp political commentary. From Delhi's graveyards to restive Kashmir, Roy exposes systemic violence while celebrating resilience. The narrative's fragmented structure mirrors India's fractured identity. Critics praised its audacity, though some found its scope overwhelming. A love letter to the dispossessed, the book reaffirms Roy's mastery of storytelling as both art and activism. This fiery essay collection confronts India's 1998 nuclear tests, globalisation, and authoritarianism. Roy lambasts 'nuclear nationalism' and dam projects displacing millions. Her critique of corporate greed and state violence sparked controversy, branding her a dissident. The book compiles five works, including The Cost of Living and War Talk, with a new introduction. Roy revisits the Gandhi-Ambedkar debate, exposing how caste oppression was sidelined in India's freedom struggle. Contrasting Gandhi's paternalism with Ambedkar's radical egalitarianism, she argues that his Annihilation of Caste remains urgent. The book, originally a preface to Ambedkar's text, dissects Gandhi's views on race and caste, urging a reckoning with his legacy. Scholarly yet accessible, it challenges mainstream narratives, advocating for Ambedkar's vision of social justice. Written during India's anti-CAA protests and Covid-19 lockdowns, Azadi (Urdu for 'freedom') interrogates the alleged rise of fascism. Through nine essays she makes a case for 'dissidence.' The title essay warns against conflating majoritarianism with democracy, while 'The Pandemic is a Portal' imagines post-crisis futures. (With PTI inputs)
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Salman Rushdie Says He's "Pleased" Attacker Got Maximum 25-Year Sentence
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Sir Salman Rushdie is pleased with the 25-year sentence for his attacker. Hadi Matar, Rushdie's assailant, was convicted of attempted murder and assault. Rushdie was stabbed multiple times, leaving him blind in one eye. Booker Prize-winning author Sir Salman Rushdie has said he is "pleased" that the man who brutally attacked him on stage in 2022 has been handed the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The 77-year-old Indian-born British author was stabbed multiple times during an event at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, leaving him blind in one eye. Rushdie testified at the 2025 trial of Hadi Matar, a US citizen who was convicted of attempted murder and assault earlier this year. Matar was sentenced to 25 years for the attack on Rushdie and an additional seven years for injuring another man who was on stage at the time. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Monday, Rushdie said, "I was pleased that he got the maximum available, and I hope he uses it to reflect upon his deeds." "AI Could Imagine a Conversation Better Than Reality" Rushdie also spoke about working with the late BBC producer Alan Yentob on a unique 2024 documentary, which used artificial intelligence to simulate a fictional conversation between the author and his attacker - a concept inspired by Rushdie's memoir Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder. "I thought if I was to really meet him and ask questions, I wouldn't get very much out of him... So I thought, I could open that conversation myself - probably better than a real one would go," Rushdie said, referring to the AI-generated dialogue. He added that the animation was "very startling" and "certainly made a point". Remembering Alan Yentob Rushdie paid tribute to Alan Yentob, who passed away on Saturday, calling him an "unbelievable champion of the arts" and "a giant of British media". "He will be remembered as a maker of great programmes and an enabler of great programmes as well," Rushdie said.
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
I'm ‘pleased' that knifeman who blinded me was given 25 years in prison, says Salman Rusdie
©Press Association Today at 21:30 Salman Rushdie has said he is 'pleased' that the man who stabbed him multiple times on stage received the maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The 77-year-old Booker Prize-winning author gave evidence during the 2025 trial about the 2022 attack at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, which left him blind in one eye.
Wales Online
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Salman Rushdie 'pleased' as man who stabbed him blind is jailed for 25 years
Salman Rushdie 'pleased' as man who stabbed him blind is jailed for 25 years Hadi Matar was found guilty of attempted murder and assault over the 2022 attack at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, which left the Booker Prize-winning author blind in one eye. Sir Salman Rushdie (Image: © 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved ) Sir Salman Rushdie has expressed his satisfaction that the man who repeatedly stabbed him during a stage appearance received the longest possible sentence of 25 years behind bars. The 77-year-old author, known for winning the Booker Prize, provided testimony at the 2025 trial regarding the violent 2022 episode at New York's Chautauqua Institution, which resulted in him losing sight in one eye. Hadi Matar, a US national, was found guilty in February of attempted murder and assault, receiving his sentence earlier this month. He was given a seven-year sentence for injuring another individual who shared the stage with the author during the assault. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, the Indian-born British novelist Sir Salman remarked: "I was pleased that he got the maximum available, and I hope he uses it to reflect upon his deeds." He also recounted his collaboration with late BBC producer Alan Yentob on a 2024 BBC Two programme which included an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated dialogue, based on a fictional exchange with his attacker Matar that was described in his autobiography, 'Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder. '. Article continues below Reflecting on how he imagined a face-to-face encounter with Matar might go, Sir Salman noted: "I thought if I was to really meet him, to ask him questions, I wouldn't get very much out of him. I doubt that he would open his heart to me." He considered that creating the interaction himself was more effective, stating: "And so I thought, 'well, I could open it by myself. I'd probably do it better than a real conversation would'." Sir Salman added: "(The AI animation) was very startling. I have to say it really certainly made a point." Sir Salman Rushdie has hailed former BBC executive and TV presenter Alan Yentob as an "unbelievable champion of the arts" with a "real gift for friendship". "He's one of the giants of British media in the last generation," Sir Salman remarked. "I think he will be remembered as a maker of great programmes and as an enabler of great programmes as well," he added. Reflecting on his own career, Sir Salman credited Yentob with giving him his first break on a programme that featured Sir Ben Kingsley reading his book Midnight's Children before it won the Booker Prize, and prior to the publication of his controversial 1988 book The Satanic Verses. The Satanic Verses led to accusations of blasphemy from hardline Muslims and resulted in Iran's then-leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa calling for Sir Salman's death in 1989. In a lighter vein, Sir Salman recalled spoofing himself and Yentob in an arm-wrestling skit on the BBC satirical show W1A. Addressing the Kids Company scandal that forced Yentob to resign, Sir Salman expressed that it was "horrendous" and emphasised: "I think it needs to be said, repeatedly, (he was) completely exonerated, and so were all the other directors." Yentob, who chaired the board of trustees for Kids Company from its inception in 2003 until its collapse in 2015, consistently denied any conflict of interest regarding his intervention with Newsnight's investigation into the charity and maintained he had not "abused my position at the BBC". During Yentob's tenure at BBC2, he commissioned Absolutely Fabulous, featuring Jennifer Saunders and Dame Joanna Lumley, the arts series The Late Show, and Have I Got News For You. Article continues below He also initiated CBBC and CBeebies, commissioned Pride And Prejudice starring Colin Firth, and in 2024 was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by the King for his services to the arts and media.
Nahar Net
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
Salman Rushdie says 'pleased' with attacker's jail sentence
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours Salman Rushdie said Monday he was "pleased" with the maximum 25-year jail sentence handed to a man who tried to kill him with a knife at a New York cultural center in 2022. "I was pleased that he got the maximum available, and hopefully he uses it to reflect upon his deeds," Rushdie told BBC radio in an interview. Hadi Matar was sentenced to 25 years in a New York court on May 16 after being convicted of attempted murder and assault. Video footage played during the trial showed Matar rushing onto stage and plunging a knife into Rushdie in the 2022 attack which left the British-American author blind in one eye. Last year, Rushdie published a memoir recounting the near-death experience called "Knife", in which he has an imagined conversation with Matar. "If I was to really meet him... I wouldn't get very much out of him," Rushdie told the BBC. "I doubt that he would open his heart to me." "And so I thought, well, I could open it by myself. I'd probably do it better than a real conversation would," said the author, who did not attend the sentencing earlier this month. Rushdie has for decades lived under the shadow of Iran's 1989 fatwa calling for his murder over alleged blasphemy in his novel "The Satanic Verses". Matar previously told media he had only read two pages of "The Satanic Verses" but believed the author had "attacked Islam". Rushdie, who was born in Mumbai but moved to England as a boy, was propelled into the spotlight with the Booker Prize-winning "Midnight's Children" (1981) based in post-independence India. His publisher announced in March that "The Eleventh Hour," a collection of short stories examining themes and places of interest to Rushdie, will be released on November 4, 2025.
