Arundhati Roy Wins 2024 PEN Pinter Prize for Unflinching Writings

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Renowned Indian author Arundhati Roy has won the prestigious PEN (Poet, Playwright, Editors, Essayist, Novelist) Pinter Prize 2024 for her 'unflinching and unswerving' writings.

An Overview of the News

• The prize is shared with a designated 'Writer of Courage', someone who has been persecuted for speaking out about their beliefs.

• She will receive the award at a ceremony co-hosted by the British Library (BL) in London, United Kingdom (UK) on October 10, 2024.

Selection Process:

• Arundhati Roy was chosen by a panel of judges: Ruth Borthwick (Chair of English PEN), Khalid Abdalla (Actor and Activist), and Roger Robinson (Writer and Musician).

About PEN Pinter Prize:

• Establishment: 2009 by English PEN, a founding center of a global literary network promoting literature and human rights.

• Purpose: Recognizes "Writers of Courage" who defend the dignity and rights of others through their words.

• Namesake: Award given in memory of playwright Harold Pinter, Nobel Prize in Literature recipient in 2005.

• Eligibility: Writers in English residing in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, or the Commonwealth.

• Previous Winners (2023):

  • Michael Rosen (British author)

  • Rahile Dawut (Chinese anthropologist, Writers of Courage)

About Arundhati Roy:

• Profile: Well-known contemporary Indian writer in English, screenwriter, activist, actress, and peace activist.

• Prosecution Threat: Currently facing the threat of prosecution over historic comments on Kashmir 14 years ago.

• Notable Works:

  • "The End of Imagination" (essay critiquing Indian nuclear policies)

  • "The Cost of Living" (1999)

  • "Power Politics" (2001)

  • "Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers" (2009)

  • "Ministry of Utmost Happiness" (2017)

  • "Broken Republic: Three Essays" (2011)

• Other Awards & Honors:

  • Booker Prize: Won in 1997 for debut novel "The God of Small Things," the first Indian writer to achieve this.

  • Sydney Peace Prize: Awarded in May 2004 for her work in social campaigns and advocacy of non-violence.