Celebrated author and activist Arundhati Roy has won the Mathrubhumi Book of the Year Award 2026 for her novel, Mother Mary Comes to Me. The award, now in its seventh edition, carries a cash prize of ₹200,000 and a sculpture. It honours an English-language book published in India that has made a lasting contribution to contemporary literature, whether originally written in English or translated from an Indian language. A personal and political workRoy’s latest book is a deeply personal exploration of her complex and often strained relationship with her mother, Mary Roy, while also engaging with questions of memory, family and power. Blending memoir with social and political reflection, Mother Mary Comes to Me, situates the intimate within broader struggles for justice.