Arundhati Roy’s poetic debut novel tells the story of twins Estha and Rahel, and the shocking consequences of a pivotal event in their young lives

Set in Kerala in the 1960s, the novel paints a vivid picture of life in a rural Indian town, the thoughts and feelings of the two small children, and the complexity and hypocrisy of the adults in their world. It is also a poignant lesson in the destructive power of the caste system and moral and political bigotry in general.

Winner
The Booker Prize 1997
Published by
Flamingo
Publication date

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Arundhati Roy

Arundhati Roy

About the Author

Arundhati Roy is the author of The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize in 1997 and has been translated into more than 40 languages
More about Arundhati Roy

Read more on The God of Small Things

Watch the 1997 ceremony

Listen to an extract from The God of Small Things

Aysha Kala brings The God of Small Things to life in the audiobook version.

HarperCollins Publishers · The God of Small Things, By Arundhati Roy, Read by Aysha Kala

Other nominated books by Arundhati Roy

Ministry of Utmost Happiness

Ministry of Utmost Happiness