Arundhati Roy wins PEN Pinter Prize for “powerful voice”

Indian author Arundhati Roy has said she is “delighted” to have been awarded this year’s PEN Pinter Prize.

The prize was created in memory of the playwright Harold Pinter and is aimed at authors of “outstanding literary quality” who take an “unflinching” view of the world.

The announcement came weeks after Indian authorities decided to take action against Roy under anti-terrorism laws over comments she made 14 years ago.

Roy is a Booker Prize-winning author and has written on human rights issues in India and on war and capitalism around the world.

The president of PEN England, Ruth Borthwick, praised Roy for telling “urgent stories of injustice with wit and beauty.”

“While India remains at the centre of attention, it is a truly internationalist thinker and its powerful voice will not be silenced,” Borthwick said.

Roy, 62, is an outspoken writer and activist and could face criminal prosecution by the Narendra Modi government over her comments on Kashmir – a controversial issue in India – in 2010.

She is a polarizing figure and has often been targeted by right-wing groups because of her speeches and writings.

Roy was blunt in his criticism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) alleged crackdown on Muslims and also spoke about the decline in press freedom in India during Modi’s tenure.

She will receive the PEN Pinter Prize on October 10 at a ceremony co-hosted by the British Library.

The prize was established in 2009 by PEN, a charity that says it defends freedom of expression and celebrates literature.

Previous winners include Michael Rosen, Malorie Blackman, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Tom Stoppard and Carol Ann Duffy.

Commenting on his award, Roy said: “I wish Harold Pinter were with us today to write about the almost incomprehensible turn the world is taking. Since he is not, some of us must do our utmost to follow in his footsteps.”

Roy has written numerous books and non-fiction works, but she is best known for her novel The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize in 1997.

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