‘If I didn’t write what moved me, it’d be like putting myself in prison’

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that award-winning Indian author Arundhati Roy used a Talk to Al Jazeera interview to discuss why she continues to write about politically sensitive subjects. The piece says Roy, who won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her debut novel, has built much of her later work around themes of social injustice and criticism of power.

According to the publisher, Roy spoke about India’s political climate and her view that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has weakened civic space and discouraged dissent. The article says she has also taken part in protests against Modi-era policies, while supporters portray her as a forceful public critic and opponents accuse her of being divisive.

The interview presents Roy as unwilling to separate her writing from her political concerns. Al Jazeera says she described her work as a response to what moves her, and the publication frames her as someone who sees literary expression and activism as closely linked.

The broader significance is that Roy remains one of India’s best-known public intellectuals, and her comments reflect ongoing debate over free expression, dissent and nationalism in the country. The article was published on 5 October 2026 and is based on a video interview running about 28 minutes.