What is this thing that has happened to us?: Arundhati Roy reads an essay from her upcoming novel

Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy's new book is all set to release in September 2020. Titled 'Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.', the book will be published by Haymarket Books.
'Freedom. Fascism. Fiction.' is a collection of essays that reflect on the true meaning of freedom.
"The chant of Azadi! — Urdu for "Freedom!"—is the slogan of the freedom struggle in Kashmir against what Kashmiris see as the Indian Occupation.Ironically it has also become the chant of millions on the streets of India against the project of Hindu Nationalism. What lies between these two calls for Freedom? A chasm or a bridge? In this series of penetrating essays on politics and literature, Arundhati Roy examines this question and challenges us to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a world of growing authoritarianism," reads the book's synopsis.
Roy's publisher recently posted a video of the author reading an essay 'The Pandemic is a Portal' from the upcoming book. "What is this thing that has happened to us? It's a virus, yes. In and of itself it holds no moral brief. But it is definitely more than a virus," she says in the video.
Contemplating more on the pandemic that has brought the world to a standstill, the author further says, "Nothing could be worse than a return to normality. Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different."
Watch the video of Arundhati Roy reading her new essay here: