India's Banu Mustaq becomes first Kannada writer to win International Booker
London, May 21 (UNI) In a momentous literary breakthrough, Indian writer, lawyer and activist Banu Mustaq has become the first author writing in Kannada to win the prestigious International Booker Prize for her powerful short story anthology 'Heart Lamp'.
The anthology, spanning 12 stories written between 1990 and 2023, was translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, who also became the first Indian translator to win the coveted literary award.
"This book was born from the belief that no story is ever small; that in the tapestry of human experience, every thread holds the weight of the whole," Mustaq declared in her acceptance speech.
"In a world that often tries to divide us, literature remains one of the last sacred spaces where we can live inside each other's minds, if only for a few pages," she added.
Hailing from a modest township in Karnataka, Mustaq's journey to authorship was anything but conventional. Her short story appeared in a local magazine a year after she had married a man of her choosing at the age of 26, but her early marital years were also marked by conflict and strife - something she openly spoke of, in several interviews.
Over the years Mushtaq's writings have won numerous prestigious local and national awards including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award.
Mushtaq's win comes off the back of Geetanjali Shree's Tomb of Sand - translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell - winning the prize in 2022, reports BBC.
In 2024, the translated English compilation of Mushtaq's five short story collections published between 1990 and 2012 - Haseena and Other Stories - won the PEN Translation Prize.
UNI NST PRS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
31 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet India's highest-paid singer, charges Rs 14 crore for 2-hour live show, not AR Rahman, Diljit Dosanjh, Sonu Nigam, Honey Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, name is…
Meet India's highest-paid singer, charges Rs 14 crore for 2-hour live show, not AR Rahman, Diljit Dosanjh, Honey Singh, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, name is.. Today, we will discuss about India's highest-paid singer who takes home staggering Rs 14 crore for just a two-hour live performance. He has been ruling the hearts of millions with his soulful voice and delivered some of Bollywood's most romantic songs. Despite staying out of the public eye, his achievements are impossible to miss. Well, he is none other than Arijit Singh, who is considered one of the highest-paid singers globally. In an interview, singer Rahul Vaidya revealed that Singh charges Rs 14 crore for performing just two hours on stage. Well, what makes his success extraordinary is his humble personality. He continues to live a simple and private life despite reaching humongous milestones in his career. Even without his staggering fees, Arjit Singh is considered one of the most loved and celebrated singers in the country. Globally too, he has collaborated with several international names like Ed Sheeran and Martin Garrix. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Martin Garrix (@martingarrix) Arjit's estimated net worth stands at Rs 414 crore. This includes a lavish Rs 8 crore home in Navi Mumbai and a high-end car collection worth over Rs 3.4 crore, including a Range Rover and a Mercedes. He has also collaborated with global brands like Coca-Cola and Samsung. On September 5, 2025, Arjit will set another milestone as he will headline a major UK Stadium, becoming the first Indian singer to do so. This will also be his only Europe concert of the year. Besides this, Arjit continues to smash records on streaming platforms. He became the most followed artist on Spotify, crossing over 140 million followers. His most unforgettable songs in Bollywood continue to touch audiences hearts and minds, capturing every shade of feeling. Whether its Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2 or Phir Le Aaya Dil from Barfi! , each song just becomes a staple on playlists across the country.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
MLC: Maxwell smashes 8th T20 ton, joins elite company of Warner, Rohit, Buttler among others
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell levelled with names like compatriots David Warner , Aaron Finch, the Indian legend Rohit Sharma and England's Jos Buttler, becoming the player with the joint-fourth-highest centuries in T20 cricket. Maxwell, who smashed his eighth century in the shortest format, achieved this feat during the Major League Cricket (MLC) match for his side, Washington Freedom (WSF,) against Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) at Oakland. During this match, Maxwell, dubbed as the 'Big Show' for his supreme hitting abilities, truly lived up to his name, blasting an unbeaten 106* in 49 balls, with just two boundaries and 13 sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 216.33. He is captaining the side this season in the absence of Steve Smith, who led them to the title last year. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest today with in Shriram's ULIP Shriram Life Insurance Undo Warner, Finch, Rohit, Buttler and Australia's Michael Klinger all have eight T20 centuries. The most centuries in this format are hit by West Indies icon Chris Gayle, who smashed 22 of them in 463 matches. He is followed by Pakistan's Babar Azam (11), South Africa's Rilee Rossouw and Indian icon Virat Kohli (9 each). Coming to the match, Washington Freedom opted to bat first after winning the toss. A hard-hitting 32 in 11 balls (four boundaries and two sixes) by Mitchell Owen remained the highlight knock for a good while as the team was reduced to 68/4. From here, Maxwell put on a masterclass performance, taking down Jason Holder for 26 runs with Obus Pienaar (14*) in the final over to reach his century and pushing his team to 208/5. Live Events So far in MLC 2025, Maxwell has scored 149 runs in three innings for his side, at an average of 149.00 and a strike rate of over 204, with his previous scores being 38* and 5. He is the second-highest run-getter so far in the competition. His team has won one and lost one match so far under his captaincy.
Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
The ROI and the roar
The year was 1996. As Prasoon Pandey collected the Silver Lion for Ericsson's 'One Black Coffee' commercial, the ensuing roar was heard all the way from the Cannes Riviera to India for the first time. It was not only testament to the power of a witty script and a cleverly executed campaign, but also a moment that etched Ericsson into the Indian consumers' minds. Fast forward three decades, and India's creative prowess at Cannes is no longer confined to the artistry of craft. Indian agencies aren't just making pretty ads or heartwarming social cause-based campaigns; they're strategising campaigns that drive business growth today. So, while network agencies unfurl their banners in full glory on the sun-drenched shores of Cannes, a new breed of indie shops is equally, fiercely determined to make its presence felt, proving that creative brilliance knows no size or budget. For many of these agencies, a Lion isn't a mere addition to their trophy shelves. It's momentum, a coveted currency. But while it remains the golden talisman of the advertising industry, given the rising costs associated — submitting entries, attending the festival, travel and accommodation expenses — what was once a dream moment atop the advertising summit, is today being considered unaffordable for most agencies. Price of prestige Participating in Cannes Lions is no small financial feat. Entry fees per submission range from 675 to 2,765 euros, depending on the category and submission timing. With agencies often submitting multiple entries, costs can escalate quickly. Add to these the delegate passes (which can exceed 4,000 euros), the lavish accommodations and events that are synonymous with Cannes, and the question that begs to be raised is: Does the total investment still remain viable, especially for smaller or independent agencies? Take indie agency Talented, which has already picked up two Silver lions at Cannes this year for their work for Britannia Industries. Gautam Reghunath, co-founder, views the festival as being part of the agency's brand-building exercise. It's a major chunk of their marketing spends and the team consciously invests in it due to the value it has in bringing in clients. 'According to me, this is our version of marketing our story to the world,' Reghunath explains. He further emphasises the evolving nature of entries and says that the 'hacks' to win at Cannes are out of the window. 'Gone are the days when a lot of work used to have 'social purpose' at its centre. Today, agencies are putting their best work forward — campaigns that have generated brand value and business growth,' he adds. Aalap Desai, co-founder of tgthr (pronounced 'together'), recalls the agency's Cannes successful debut — becoming the youngest Indian agency to bag a Lions win, just nine months after launch. Desai says there was a shift after that win. 'It's a healthy mix of everything. Talent wanted to join the momentum, brands wanted to associate, teams were motivated,' he explains. For him, the return on investment ( ROI ) was the immediate rise in brand value. However, he admits that they need to start measuring this year-on-year to understand the larger impact. But overall, does competing at Cannes involve excessive financial planning? Desai points out that there is a cap of entries per category each year — so the money agencies can pour in is limited. 'The planning starts a year in advance. Since we are new, we put money aside every month, so that it doesn't affect the cash flow in March,' he says. Moreover, the ROI is notional and doesn't get credited to the account. Rather, it comes in the form of goodwill, reputation, client trust, PR, new leads for business, etc. All this is only applicable if you win; hence the bet is something you have to get used to, Desai says. 'Every entry we send that doesn't win hits ROI. I have been doing this for some time now, and the one truth that stays is that you have to be ruthless with your entries or else you pay the price. Literally,' he adds. Then there are production houses that can only enter in a select few categories. For KM Ayappa, co-founder of Early Man Film, the ROI translates more to quality scripts and global inquiries. 'If your work holds up, Cannes is the best marketplace to showcase it,' Ayappa says. For agencies whose category options are vast, some strategic category placement can be a quarter of the battle won, he observes. So, while all exposure is valuable, Cannes stands out as the best due to its status and association with the festival. 'It's [the] one award that really counts,' he adds. Kings of the jungle Holding companies view Cannes Lions wins as being more than creative trophies — they enhance brand perception, attract top talent and send a signal out to the leadership in the industry. Wins can be amplified across agency networks to boost collective reputation and draw new business. ROI is measured on multiple levels, tailored to each client's unique goals and expectations. Amitesh Rao, chief executive officer, Leo, South Asia, sees Cannes as a talent platform, 'Not just to attract talent, but perhaps more importantly, for the talent we have to participate on the global stage, engage with the best minds in the business, and stay focused on the benchmarks that we measure ourselves against,' is how Rao describes it. Dheeraj Sinha, group CEO of FCB India and South Asia, has similar views. 'For agencies, their product is creativity. The objective is to make sure your project excels and sets global benchmarks.' [The group's metal tally in the first two days of the 2025 festival stands at three – One Gold and one Bronze Lion for FCB India and one Silver Lion for FCB Kinnect.] Sinha maintains that in the business of advertising today, the quality of work is proportional to the growth the brand will get out of it. 'These days, questions like what a campaign has done for profitability and growth are asked in award judging rooms. Times are changing. Work that's happening at scale and across the spectrum takes the spotlight. We believe that creativity is an economic multiplier,' he adds. The counterpoint Critics argue that Cannes can become an expensive echo chamber, especially in a landscape where brand managers are tightening budgets and creators work directly with brands. Creativity matters, but the self-congratulatory carousel of trophies might be out of step with what clients — and the market — actually value. Naresh Gupta, co-founder, Bang In The Middle, expresses scepticism. 'It's a very heavy investment to make. I think there are many different ways to get business and attract marketers,' he says. He elaborates further about the motivation behind entries: 'The currency that most creative agencies understand is not necessarily brand success or financial security; they understand creative work that they can get awarded for. They push themselves in that direction to do award-winning work.' Gupta also notes the ego-boosting aspect of entering Cannes. When independent ad folks who earlier learned the 'hacks' to win at bigger agencies form their own setups and win, he says, it is almost like a quasi-way of saying, 'We are better than the agency we quit.' Reghunath does acknowledge differing perspectives. 'A lot of marketers from new-age brands don't necessarily see the value of Cannes in the same way that larger companies do. Cannes, as a platform, will also keep reinventing itself to stay relevant.' While deep-pocketed global companies, often in lockstep with their agency partners, have the resources to submit a high number of entries, smaller brands in contrast need to weigh this more carefully. One marketing lead at a direct-to-consumer apparel brand, which has enjoyed a string of local creative wins, concedes that while the festival is a powerful showcase for agencies courting new business on the global stage, it isn't part of their playbook. 'For a brand like ours, it's an unnecessary splurge,' he explains, noting that local honours provide strong creative validation without denting the budget too much. Cannes Lions may not offer a one-size-fits-all ROI, but between global visibility, talent magnetism and client credibility, the roar can reach the right corners and beyond — if you can afford the ticket.
