Arundhati Roy's arresting new novel is her first since her award winning debut in 1997, The God of Small Things. In this episode it is autumn in Srinigar and on a lakeside houseboat there is love and lament. Indira Varma is the reader.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is Arundhati Roy's first novel since her celebrated debut The God of Small Things which won the Booker Prize in 1997. It takes listeners on a powerful journey which starts in Old Delhi before moving to the conflict in Kashmir in 1996, and then returning to Delhi and more recent times. Along the way the lives of a cast of vivid and unforgettable characters become inextricably interwoven, especially those of the insouciant and unknowable Tilo, and Musa, the young Kashmiri man whose life has already been shaped by tragedy.

For interviews with Arundhati Roy, new features and archive programmes about her life and work visit the Radio 4 website. While you're there, if you've missed an episode or you would like to listen ahead you can also find out how to download all fifteen episodes. You can also visit the iPlayer Radio app.

Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard. Show less