Arundhati Roy is an acclaimed Indian author, essayist, and political activist, born in Shillong, Meghalaya, to a Keralite Syrian Christian mother and a Bengali Hindu father. She gained international fame with her debut novel, The God of Small Things (1997), a semi-autobiographical story set in Kerala. The novel won the Booker Prize and is celebrated for its lyrical prose, complex narrative, and deep exploration of caste, family, and forbidden love. Beyond literature, Roy is widely known for her outspoken activism on issues like environmental justice, anti-globalization, and human rights. Her essays and speeches, often critical of government policies and corporate power, have sparked both praise and controversy. Though she spends much of her time outside Kerala, her roots and early life there deeply influence her worldview and literary voice.