Writer-activist Arundhati Roy has been awarded the prestigious 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement for the French translation of her book 'Azadi'. The news was announced recently by the Charles Veillon Foundation.
Published in 2021, 'Azadi' is a compilation of Roy's essays in which she writes about the true meaning of freedom, especially in a world where authoritarianism is growing.
"The jury of the Prix Europeen de l’Essai wishes to highlight an enriching work in terms of reflection on the construction of the world and the relationship with language. Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism and the way it is being structured. This is an issue that is increasingly occupying our lives. Her essays offer shelter to a multitude of people," read a statement by the Foundation.
Established in 1975, the European Essay Prize is given to an author "who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of thought... It draws attention to authors whose work bear witness to and offer a fertile commentary on current societies, their practices, and ideologies," according to the Foundation.
Roy will receive the award at a ceremony on September 12, 2023 at the Lausanne Palace; she is also expected to give a lecture at the event.
Previously, Roy has also won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel 'The God of Small Things'. Some of her other notable books are 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness', 'My Seditious Heart', among others.
