On 2 September 2025, in a landmark event for Indian publishing, Arundhati Roy’s memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me, had its global debut in Kochi an hour and a half away from the author’s hometown, Kottayam. At the start, Roy said, “While this book is coming out, it is written in the time of one of the most horrible genocides happening in Gaza in full public view. It is easier for us to reach for images of children being starved in Gaza than it is for a glass of water at night. It is a matter of shame for all of us that we appear to be helpless to stop it because there is a schism now between governments and people, not just in our country but everywhere.” She added, “As I prepared to come on stage, the High Court has once again denied bail to Umar Khalid and to many of my friends who have been in prison for five years.”
Greeting readers and fans in the crowded hall and its packed balcony, Roy said, “There are many Mother Marys here, one is the blessed virgin whom this hall is named after, one is Paul McCartney’s Mother Mary who is in the song, and the third one is ours, and she isn’t either of them,” eliciting huge applause and appreciation.
Writer KR Meera also shared her thoughts on the book. Noting that she could relate to the experiences that the author has had in her life, she said that the book reminded her of the need to write a memoir on her own mother. “To introduce Arundhati, you need to invent another language,” she said. Manasi Subramaniam, editorial member of Penguin Random House in India, the editor of Roy’s memoir, engaged with the author in a conversation on the stage.
While the memoir has been published by Penguin Random House in India, and by leading publishers including Scribner in the USA and Canada, Hamish Hamilton in UK and Australia, the entire global debut launch, from promotion, registration, and marketing to full event execution, was solely carried out by Kottayam-based DC Books, making Kerala, and Arundhati Roy’s hometown, the epicentre of this landmark international release.
The event was held at St Teresa’s College in Kochi, at a venue symbolically named Mother Mary Hall. What unfolded was not just a book launch, but an experience steeped in emotion and design, echoing the soul and symbolism of Roy’s memoir. The editorial and marketing team at DC Books approached the launch with a singular vision: to create not just an event, but a lasting cultural moment. The hall was reimagined as a striking monochrome space, with art direction by Thankam of Odds & Ends, setting a meditative and minimal backdrop for the evening. The color palette, drawn directly from Roy’s red-and-white global cover design, flowed from the décor and floral arrangements to the event collateral. The audio and sound for the evening were expertly managed by Justin, a close associate of Arundhati’s brother, Lalit Roy, affectionately known as LKC.
In a deeply emotional moment, LKC performed The Beatles’ Let It Be, whose lyric ‘Mother Mary comes to me’ resonates with the title of the memoir. The performance was deeply aligned with the emotional current and became the soul of the evening.
The event was attended by prominent figures from the global publishing industry, media, and the arts. Notable attendees included Nan Graham, Senior Vice President, Publisher-at-Large, and Editor; Rebecca Wearmouth, Head of International Rights at Peters Fraser & Dunlop; Aradhana Seth, Indian Art Director and Artist; David Godwin Literary Agent and founder of DGA; Indian writer and blogger Mayank Austen Soofi; Dr Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy Indian economist, journalist, and author; and journalist Saba Naqvi. Many media and film personalities attended the event, including Prithviraj, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Rima Kallingal.
A backwater journey into the heart of the memoir
DC Books deployed a custom-branded Tempo Traveller, designed by the DC Books design team, which traveled across Kochi as a moving symbol of the memoir’s arrival. On the day of the event, select guests, including Arundhati Roy, took part in a Kochi Water Metro ride, carrying copies of the book in hand, in what became a symbolic backwater journey into the heart of the memoir.
From signed copies to custom-designed ticket stubs, postcards placed on every seat, and an exclusive tote bag featuring both the global book cover and the DC Books Heritage building, every element was crafted with the readers in mind. The cherished pieces of memorabilia were specially curated as keepsakes to help attendees connect with the book’s internal journey.
DC Books – the soul behind the debut
Although the publication of Mother Mary Comes to Me spans some of the biggest names in global publishing, the first public launch event was curated entirely by DC Books and Arundhati Roy. From registrations and marketing to venue design, branding, and reader engagement, the event was a ground-up production by the 35-member DC Books team, with generous support from St Teresa’s College. The registrations were driven through DC Books and the Kerala Literary Festival (KLF) social media handles. Over 1,000 registrations were received, and due to the overwhelming response, the team conducted reconfirmations. In addition to the main hall, extra space was arranged on the balcony, and spot registration was also made available.
A song to remember
Mother Mary Comes to Me is Roy’s first memoir, a lyrical and unflinching work that blends the personal with the political. The book’s title is a nod to the famous Beatles song, and through its series of interwoven memories, the book reflects on belonging, protest, and the act of writing in the face of erasure. That the memoir’s first celebration took place in Kerala, with its long history of resistance, literature, and political discourse, is both fitting and profound.
The grand launch
For those who attended, the event was not merely a release; it was an expression of the book’s spirit. With reels and visuals now circulating widely on social media, the Kochi debut has become the talking point of the reading public and community. With the book’s wide demand and appeal, international launch events are scheduled to take place across the UK and New York, followed by additional events in other locations worldwide.
(This article has been slightly revised with the addition of a few sentences on 13 September 2025 – editor)
