Arundhati Roy wins PEN Pinter Prize 2024 amid prosecution threat over Kashmir remark

Arundhati Roy, who is currently facing the threat of prosecution over historic comments on Kashmir 14 years ago, has been honoured with the PEN Pinter Prize 2024. She will be awarded on October 10 in a ceremony. 

This prestigious award, established in 2009 by charity English PEN in memory of Nobel laureate playwright Harold Pinter, celebrates exceptional literary talent.

The news was announced by English PEN on X on June 27, in which they wrote: "We are thrilled to announce that Arundhati Roy is the winner of the PEN Pinter Prize 2024. She will receive the award in a ceremony co-hosted by the British Library on 10 October."

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Roy expressed her delight at being named this year's winner amid an “incomprehensible turn” the world is taking.

“I am delighted to accept the PEN Pinter prize. I wish Harold Pinter were with us today to write about the almost incomprehensible turn the world is taking. Since he isn’t, some of us must do our utmost to try to fill his shoes,” Arundhati Roy said.

The renowned author, who won the Booker Prize for her debut novel ‘The God of Small Things’, was chosen by this year’s judges – Chair of English PEN Ruth Borthwick; actor and activist Khalid Abdalla; and writer and musician Roger Robinson.