Members of the online book club Readers Without Borders and activists from the Southasia Peace Action Network convened for an engaging discussion over the recently published ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me’ – without the author who was unable to join at the last minute.
BOSTON: The Southasia Peace Action Network (Sapan), in collaboration with the online Readers Without Borders book club, convened an engaging conversation last Saturday to discuss Mother Mary Comes to Me, the new memoir by acclaimed author and activist Arundhati Roy.
Although Roy was unable to attend at the last moment, the discussion on 13 December inspired by her book made her presence strongly felt.
Hosted and moderated by Ambereen Mirza, founder of the Readers Without Borders book club, and Beena Sarwar, RWB member and co-founder of Sapan, the event brought together more than 70 book lovers, activists, students and scholars to discuss human relationships, literature, justice, resistance, and solidarity in Southasia.
Participants from around the globe talked about how the book challenges readers to confront uncomfortable realities while also offering moments of clarity and hope.
Quoting a passage that from the book, about when the writer hears about Micky Roy, her father, going missing, Sarwar said that she felt “it lies at the core of what Arundhati Roy embodies – radical love”:
“I surprised myself by being distraught. I thought I had trained myself to feel nothing. Mickey was not the only person close to me who was addicted to alcohol or drugs. By then I had learned the hard way that every emotion, relationship, good intention – there is as well as mine – would be trapped by the addicts craving for whatever they were addicted to. I knew that the only thing to do was to withhold judgment, and if possible, hope, but to try never to withdraw love, or affection. Of course I knew. But what we know isn’t always in line with what we feel, or what we do” (pp. 244-245, Sribner, 2025)
Mirza agreed, noting that Arundhati Roy “accepted her mother for who she was, at such a young age. She left in order to be able to love her, as she writes” – showing maturity early on in her life.
Bidhi Adhikari, a college student and Sapan volunteer in Nepal, shared how she had met Roy at an unpublicised book signing at a Kathmandu bookstore recently. “It was so wonderful to see her there, as a simple human being, signing books and talking to people,” she said.
Even in her absence, Roy’s work created a space for critical thinking. The conversation illustrated the book club’s goal of using global literature as a bridge between cultures and struggles.
Mumbai-born Boston-based professional Hamida Merchant commented that some women in another book club she is a member of were reluctant to read the book, finding the subject matter too triggering.
“I am one of those women,” commented another participant, adding that after listening to the discussion she had reconsidered her stand and planned to tackle the book.
Several notable writers attended the event, like Sapan members Sorayya Khan in Ithaca, New York, author of three novels and a memoir We Take Our Cities With Us, first time novelist Shilpi Suneja in the Boston area (House of Caravans), and award-winning poet Rafiq Kathwari in Connecticut. Readers Without Borders members included short story writer Farha Hasan, Austin-based journalist and novelist Tanya Athar-Jogee (Tiny Glimmers of Light), and Mary Lahaj whose Bird on a Wire narrates her family’s epic history starting from Lebanon at the turn of the 20th century to present day Massachusetts.
There were also writers in the making like Silicon Valley entrepreneur Faruq Ahmad. Prominent journalist and Nieman Fellow 2006 Claudia Atunes from Brazil was also among the gathering.
Readers without Borders meets one Saturday a month, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds from around the world, to discuss books from all genres.
The Sapan Founding Charter calls to institute ease of travel and allow people in the region to meet across borders, engage in economic cooperation, uphold human rights and dignity at home and cooperate and collaborate in all areas. Nearly 135 organisations, including RWB, and hundreds of individuals have endorsed the Charter.
In closing, the moderators expressed gratitude to all participants and reaffirmed their intention to continue hosting dialogues that connect literature, activism, and global solidarity.
A video recording of the discussion will be released on the Sapan YouTube channel.
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For more information on future RWB events, please email southasiapeaceactionnetwork@gmail.com, with the subject line: Readers Without Borders.
Press release issued by the event media partner Sapan News.
Southasia Peace Action Network proudly supports Sapan News year-end fundraiser 2025. Every donation to SapanNews until Dec 31, 2025 will be matched or tripled. Your $50 = $150 for peace journalism.
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