
Who is Banu Mushtaq, Kannada writer who made history with International Booker?
In a historic achievement for Indian literature, 77-year-old Kannada writer, lawyer, and activist Banu Mushtaq has bagged the prestigious International Booker Prize for her short story collection, Heart Lamp.Mushtaq scripted history by becoming the first Kannada writer to win the prestigious prize. The anthology -- a collection of 12 stories -- chronicles the everyday struggles of Muslim women in Karnataka, spanning three decades from 1990 to 2023.advertisementIn her acceptance speech, Mushtaq, hailing the stories of the women she poignantly portrayed in her work, said, "This is not just my victory, but a chorus of voices often left unheard."
Deepa Bhasthi, who translated the collection into English, was also awarded the International Booker Prize alongside Mushtaq.With this achievement, Mushtaq now joins an elite list of Indians who have won the coveted prize since its inception in 1969 -- including V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai, Aravind Adiga, and Geetanjali Shree.WHO IS BANU MUSHTAQ?Hailing from Karnataka's Hassan, Mushtaq wrote her first short story in middle school. She took the writing world by storm when her first story was published at the age of 26 in a popular Kannada magazine, Prajamata.According to her profile on The Booker Prize platform, she has authored six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection and a poetry collection.advertisementIn an interview with the Booker Prize Foundation, Mushtaq revealed that she drew her inspiration from the Dalit movement, farmers' movement, language movement, women's struggles, environmental activism in the seventies while growing up in Karnataka."My direct engagement with the lives of marginalised communities, women, and the neglected, along with their expressions, gave me the strength to write. Overall, the social conditions of Karnataka shaped me," she was quoted as telling the Booker Prize Foundation.When questioned about her work, Mushtaq told the Booker Prize Foundation that she doesn't engage in "extensive research" as she draws inspiration from real-life interactions. "...my heart itself is my field of study," she said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Let the kids rot
Once upon a very real time not so long ago, Indian summers were about watching the clock slow down. As schools broke for the holidays, children shed their baggage of schedules and slipped into long lazy days filled with mangoes, mischief and that rare thing — unsupervised time. Days of chasing dragonflies and inventing games out of thin air, of lying on cool floors under creaky ceiling fans and watching the play of sunlight through the curtains, of turning cardboard boxes into doll's houses, of fighting and making up with siblings and cousins all in the span of an afternoon. It was, as the nostalgics would say, the golden age of boredom, and it was beautiful. The age of overachievement, however, transformed summer from a season of wonder into a gap to be filled with workshops, boot camps and other skill-building, prospect-enhancing activities, ranging from mindful movement to creative writing sessions. Screens crept in, too — glowing, addictive companions that turn idle time into something far more passive and far less magical. In chasing productivity, the poetry of those long days was slowly written over. Now, scarred by overpriced summer camps and stress-inducing hyper-structured productivity plans, the West has finally cottoned on to the joy of letting children do nothing for a few precious weeks. In the US, the phenomenon is being branded as 'summer kid rotting', a variant of 'bed rotting', that celebrates the unhurried and the purposeless while coaxing the modern parent, with her emphasis on over-optimisation, to step back and take a deep breath. The gentle rhythms of idle days, however, have always held a quiet wisdom. It allows friendships to steep into rich lifelong bonds, teaches children how to sit comfortably with themselves and makes room for curiosity and joy. Perhaps, the greatest gift adults can give children, then, is this freedom to waste a little time. After all, the best memories are often made not when everything adds up, but when nothing needs to.


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Kajol praises Ajay Devgn, calls him a very ‘hands-on producer' with Maa: ‘We have made a very good film'
Kajol is gearing up for the release of her upcoming mythological horror film Maa. It is co-produced by her husband, actor Ajay Devgn. This is the first time that Kajol is stepping into the genre of horror. Speaking with ANI, Kajol opened up about collaborating with Ajay on Maa off-screen, and called him a 'very hands-on producer.' (Also read: Kajol opens up about ageing and self image: 'I've been moving in the correct direction') During the interaction, Kajol praised Ajay and said, 'He (Ajay) is a very hands-on producer. From script to music and VFX, he has given a lot of attention to every part of this film. I think VFX is a huge part of the film. And, as they say, shooting VFX is a different he has given a lot of detail. He has been a very hands-on producer.' She also talked about the film, which marks her return to the big screen after three years. 'My film is releasing in theatres after a long time and I am extremely happy about actor has to reinvent himself/herself with time. I had never thought I would do a horror film, but here we are. I am extremely proud of this film. The script is quite good. I am a big mythological buff. I love our Indian mythology. We have so many stories. So, I think it was one of my favourite stories. I think we have made a very good film. Now audience will tell,' she added. Kajol's last theatrical release was Salaam Venky. Maa has been directed by Vishal Furia. It shows Kajol as a fierce, protective mother who fights to save her daughter from the clutches of demons. Maa also stars Indraneil Sengupta, Ronit Roy, Jitin Gulati, and Kherin Sharma and is set to release in theatres on 27 June.


New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Shifting Stands: Bengalureans opine on Deepika Padukone-Sandeep Reddy Vanga controversy
The entire Indian film industry runs on a broken model – lead actors are massively overpaid, while writers, editors, and others who contribute just as much are underpaid. Yet, no one bats an eye when Rajinikanth charges `250 crore. Bringing it up during a spat only reveals how Vanga and his team seem more bothered when a woman demands the same sum that male leads have always gotten away with. She's a new mother caring for her 8-month-old baby. In contrast, many male stars come to sets on their own time, refuse multiple takes, and leave early – and no one calls them out. A mother requesting an 8-hour shift is simply asking for the bare minimum. But it's fair for a passionate filmmaker like Vanga (setting aside his politics) who expects full emotional commitment from actors to be hurt by Deepika's refusal to dub in Telugu. The team even rescheduled the shoot around her pregnancy. To wait that long, only to hear she won't dub, can be disappointing.