Arundhati Roy on Storytelling, Memory and The Human Condition (Part One)

‘It is vanishingly rare for a writer to both confront the ugliness of humanity and still search for its beauty. Roy is that rare writer.’ – Naomi Klein Arundhati Roy is one of today’s most esteemed public intellectuals. The author of novels including the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things, Roy is equally respected as a political essayist. Her words on topics from the COVID-19 pandemic to the plight of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have helped define public discourse in India and beyond. In September 2025 Roy came to the Intelligence Squared stage for two exclusive events. Combining the signature scale, sweep and depth of her novels, and the passion, political clarity and warmth of her essays, Roy drew on the themes of her new memoir for a compelling exploration of her life and work. Born out of the onrush of memories and feelings provoked by her mother Mary’s death, Mother Mary Comes to Me is Roy’s telling of her own story from childhood to the present, from Kerala to Delhi. An ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace, it is a memoir like no other. The event was a rare opportunity to hear from one of the greatest writers of our generation. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices