All about BANU MUSHTAQ The International Booker Prize 2025
The writer and activist Banu Mushtauq’s collection of short stories “Heart Lamp”, translated by Deep Bhasthi, became the first title Kannada to win the sought -after GBP 50,000 Booker Award in London 20 May 2025. Video credit: Hindi
The writer and activist Banu Mushtaq’s short story “Heart Lamp”, translated by Deep Bhasti, became the first title Kannada to win a sought -after Award of the International Booker GBP 50,000 in London 20 May 2025.
Banu Mushtaq, author of “Heart Lamp” on the left, and Deepa Bhasthi represent for photographers after arrival at the International Booker Award in London 20 May 2025. Photo Credit: AP
The book has 12 stories originally published in Cannada between 1990 and 2023. The stories reflect her background as a journalist and advocate, with a sharp focus on women’s rights and resistance to caste and religious injustice.
While Booker Buzz catapulted Ban into a global reflector, her own story began in a small village in the hilly area of Malnad, Karnataka.
Who is Banu Mushtaq?
Banu Mushtaq was born in Hassan on April 3, 1948. In addition to being a writer, she was an activist, journalist, lawyer and politics. Holds B.Sc and LLB titles.
She is married to Mohiyuddin Mushtaq, a businesswoman. She started writing at the age of 70 and her first story appeared in a periodical called Prajamatha in 1974.
BANU MUSHTAQ wins the International Booker Award for the Collection of the Kannada ‘Heart Lamp’ short stories
The writer, activist and lawyer Banu Mushtauq’s collection of short stories ‘Heart Lamp’ on Tuesday (May 20, 2025) became the first title Kannada to win the sought -after Award of the International Booker GBP in London. | Video credit: Hindi
Between 1981 and 1990, she worked as a reporter in Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid edited poet and writer P. Lankesh (father of the killed activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh).
Mushtaq was associated with the Kannada Literature Bandaya movement in the 80’s. The movement, the call for social and economic justice, was marked by the tradition of protest, while offering space for marginalized voices, including Muslims and Dalits. In 1983 she was elected to the Hassan City City Council as a member. Two term of office served.
In 1990, Mushtauq left journalism and began to practice as a defending champion to support his family.
The word writer Banu wrote more than 60 stories in her six -ten and lasting career writing. Her stories were published in six collections and navigate the themes of faith, gender and resistance when the transition between Kannada, Urdu, Arabic and Dakhni.
Her works include Hejje Moodid Haadi (1990), Benki Male (1999), Edeya Hanate (2004), Safeera (2006), Houseen Matt Itar Kathegal (2015) and Henna Hadin Swayamvara (2022). Her story Black Cobra, included in the heart lamp, was modified to
In addition to English, her stories were translated into Malayalam, Tamil, Panjab and Urda. In 1999 she won the Karnataka State Sahitya Academy.
Although she faced criticism from her community older and serious resistance, including an attempt at her life by an attacker controlling the knife, she continued to use her words to write about Muslim families with female characters who fight for their rights and promoted.
Published – May 21, 2025 12:48
