Arundhati Roy wins NBCC award for autobiography with ‘Mother Mary Comes To Me’

Indian author Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography for her memoir Mother Mary Comes To Me.

The winners were announced on March 28 across six categories recognising books published in English, including fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, poetry and criticism.

Roy’s memoir was shortlisted alongside works by Geraldine Brooks (Memorial Days), Beth Macy (Paper Girl), Hanif Kureishi (Shattered), and Miriam Toews (A Truce That Is Not Peace), reflecting a competitive field of established writers.

The announcement was shared by Roy and her publisher, Scribner Books, on social media, confirming the win and congratulating the author.

Mother Mary Comes To Me explores Roy’s fraught and deeply influential relationship with her mother, Mary Roy. The memoir examines themes of family, identity and personal conflict, offering insight into the experiences that shaped Roy’s life and writing.

The book marks Roy’s first memoir and her return to long-form narrative after years focused largely on political essays. Her previous novels include the Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things, which secured her the Booker Prize in 1997, making her the first Indian woman to receive the honour.

The latest award adds to Roy’s international recognition and highlights continued global interest in her work across genres.