Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 2026 National Book Critics Circle Award in the Autobiography category for her memoir, “Mother Mary Comes to Me.” The National Book Critics Circle annually recognises outstanding books published in English across six categories, and Roy’s work was selected as the best autobiography of the year. The announcement was made alongside winners in other categories, including fiction, nonfiction, biography, poetry, and criticism.
According to Scroll, the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) presents awards each year for the finest books published in English, with the selection process involving critics and members of the NBCC. Roy’s memoir, “Mother Mary Comes to Me,” was recognised for its literary merit and contribution to the field of autobiography.
Additional honours were also announced, including the John Leonard Prize for the best first book in any genre and the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize, which is awarded to the best book translated into English and published in the United States. The NBCC further recognises excellence in reviewing and lifetime achievement in literature through the Nona Balakian Citation and the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively as coverage revealed.
The complete list of 2026 NBCC award winners includes: Autobiography – “Mother Mary Comes to Me” by Arundhati Roy; Biography – “A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled” by Alex Green; Criticism – “Hayek’s Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right” by Quinn Slobodian; Fiction – “We Do Not Part” by Han Kang, translated by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris; Nonfiction – “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI” by Karen Hao; and Poetry – “Night Watch” by Kevin Young. The Barrios Book in Translation Prize went to “Sad Tiger” by Neige Sinno, translated by Natasha Lehrer as details emerged.
“Each year, the National Book Critics Circle presents awards for the finest books published in English in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Poetry, and Criticism. This year, Arundhati Roy’s memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, won the best Autobiography.”
Other notable recognitions included the John Leonard Prize for “Baldwin: A Love Story” by Nicholas Boggs, the NBCC service award to Elizabeth Taylor, the Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing to Rhoda Feng, the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award to Frances FitzGerald, and the Toni Morrison Achievement Award to PBS and NPR as reporting indicated.
The National Book Critics Circle Awards are regarded as a significant recognition in the literary world, with the selection process involving a broad membership of critics and reviewers. The awards aim to honour books and authors who have made a substantial impact on contemporary literature according to official information.
Credit: The Quint
