Arundhati Roy stands as one of the most influential public intellectuals of our time. Best known for her Booker Prize-winning debut novel The God of Small Things, she has also earned global recognition as a fearless political essayist. Her incisive reflections—ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to India’s turbulent political landscape under Prime Minister Narendra Modi—have shaped conversations both within the country and across the world.

Today, Roy will appear on the Intelligence Squared stage for two exclusive events. Blending the lyrical scope of her fiction with the passion and clarity of her essays, she will offer a powerful meditation on her life and work, inspired by the themes of her latest memoir, ‘Mother Mary Comes To Me.’One will be with Elif Shafak at Cadogan Hall, London on 4th September, Thursday. Two inspiring authors who advocate for human rights join to explore how childhood experiences shape a person and how it is reflected in literature in the light of Roy’s latest memoir. The conversation between Arundhati Roy and Elif Shafak will surely encourage millions to live an honest and truthful life.

Mother Mary Comes to Me was born from the flood of memories stirred by the passing of her mother, Mary. In it, Roy traces her journey from her childhood in Kerala to her present life in Delhi. More than a personal narrative, the memoir is a hymn to freedom, an ode to difficult love, and a testament to beauty and resilience—a work that, much like Roy herself, defies convention.