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The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Banu Mushtaq Interview: International Booker Prize Winner on Reading, Social Movements, and Marginalized Voices
Published : Jul 20, 2025 11:57 IST - 9 MINS READ This year, Banu Mushtaq received the highest literary honour when her short story collection Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, won the 2025 International Booker Prize, bringing Kannada literature into the global spotlight. Banu Mushtaq's life has been shaped by literary activism and social engagement. Born and raised in Hassan, Karnataka, she developed a deep interest in reading and writing in Kannada after learning the language in primary school. Her father and grandfather recognised her early curiosity for the written word and encouraged it by providing children's magazines and storybooks in Kannada. This ignited a lifelong passion for literature. Growing up, she read voraciously—from Panchatantra and Chandamama to Bengali and Russian classics and detective fiction in Urdu. This early exposure to multiple languages and traditions laid the foundation for a career that bridged journalism and fiction. Her literary voice, rooted in her community, resonates with universal themes. Banu Mushtaq has published six collections of short stories. Her novel Kubra, two essay collections, and a poetry collection showcase her literary range. Her translation work includes rendering the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (2005) into Kannada and translating 500 pages of Adil Shahi literature from Urdu to Kannada. Her literary contributions have been widely recognised. Her accolades include the Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award (2002), the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Honorary Award (2004), the Akkamahadevi Award (2017), the Dana Chintamani Attimabbe Award (2024–25), the Karnataka-50 Suvarna Sambhrama Award (2024), and the English PEN Translation Prize for Heart Lamp (2024). In this episode of Bookmarks, she talks about her reading life, the books and movements that shaped her writing, and how she continued to write despite setbacks. Tell us about your relationship with books. How has reading shaped your life? I started reading and writing early in childhood, which made my father very happy. When I was in first grade, he bought me children's magazines and books like Panchatantra, widely published in Kannada, and Balamitra, a Telugu children's magazine. Other favourites included Chandamama. My father got me these books and magazines regularly. I was always hungry to read more. Later, when we moved to Shimoga city and then to Krishnarajasagara near Mysore, I had access to many local libraries. I had read all the books by top Kannada authors by my twenties .Earlier, we didn't have bookstores in my hometown, so I travelled for four hours to reach Bangalore. After finishing work, I would go to a bookshop and buy as many books as I could afford. My mother used to say, 'You never wear silk sarees or gold jewellery, but you bring home hundreds of books. What are you doing with all these books?' She passed away last year at over 90. She would say I cared more about books than material things! Can you recall a transformative reading experience? Was there a particular book or author that changed how you saw the world? When I was living in Hassan, I had access to the oldest district library there. I read Russian and Bengali literature extensively. I can't point to a single book that had a profound impact. I read many Russian authors, such as Dostoevsky—his novels and short stories—during my early twenties. Were there particular Kannada writers who influenced your literary sensibilities as you began writing? It wasn't books that influenced me when I started writing. It was the social movements of the 1970s and 80s in Karnataka—Dalit movements, farmers' movements, feminist movements, environmental activism, theatre activism, and language movements. These exposed me to issues like caste and gender hegemony, constitutional rights, and social inequalities. There were speeches, workshops, and guidance from senior friends. Marxism also influenced me. A movement called Bandaya Sahitya Sanghatane (Progressive Literary Movement) was particularly important. Writers in this movement were both activists and writers, committed to protest movements and social change. It was a community of committed writers. We openly declared that literature is for the voiceless and marginalised. We wrote poems and songs for agitators, marched with them, and sometimes got arrested. Social movements influenced me more than any single writer Can you name a few South Indian writers who have influenced your writing over the years? I can't say that any particular writer has influenced my writing. The people who influenced me were the downtrodden, the voiceless, the marginalised, the faceless. My writing is unique to my experiences with grassroots organisations and marginalised communities. I draw inspiration from them, not from other writers or their themes. Also Read | The plurality of Englishes Is there a particular book in Kannada or Urdu that made a lasting intellectual impression on you while growing up? You might be surprised, but I read detective novels extensively, especially in Urdu, like those by Ibn-e-Safi (pen name of Asrar Ahmad, a Pakistani fiction writer, novelist and poet). While these didn't have a deep intellectual impact, they amused and entertained me and introduced me to various principles and methods of writing. Any episode from your childhood or literary figure that sparked your desire to tell your own stories? I am the third generation in my family to be educated. My maternal side were agriculturists, but my paternal grandfather was a teacher who knew Urdu, Kannada, and Sanskrit. He even built a mosque in his village. My father studied up to secondary school and knew Kannada, English, and Urdu. I was the first woman in my family to study in Kannada medium, become a graduate, an advocate, a journalist, and then the first woman in our family to write fiction. My father encouraged me to read and write from a young age, even though my grandfather initially objected to me studying Kannada. When I switched to Kannada medium school, I learnt the language fluently within a week and started reading and writing stories, sometimes copying and rewriting stories from books my father gave me. My father especially encouraged me. My grandfather was initially worried that learning Kannada would distance me from our Muslim culture, so he taught me Urdu and Arabic himself. This background helped me later translate works like Tarikh-e-Farishta from Urdu to Kannada. Can you recall the first story you wrote as an aspiring writer? Was it published? My early stories were not published because I didn't know how to submit them. In the early 1970s, when I was about 22 or 23, I visited Bangalore with my father and saw the name of a prominent weekly magazine editor, Prajamata, on a house. I introduced myself and said I wrote short stories. He encouraged me to send a story, and I did, but I waited, and it wasn't published immediately. I was disappointed and stopped writing for a while. Later, after my marriage, my husband brought home an issue of Prajamata and showed me that my story had been published. It was a short fiction piece but not based on my own life as I had limited experience at that time. My husband and father were very happy and proud. The magazine was prestigious and published many leading writers. However, after that, I got married and got busy with family life, so I didn't continue publishing immediately. Also Read | Reading is good when it disturbs you: Amitava Kumar Do you think this Booker Prize recognition will have a positive impact on the visibility of Kannada literature in India and globally? Yes, certainly. People are now recognising the potential of Kannada literature at both the national and global levels. Our agent told me the book has been translated into 35 languages after the Booker recognition. Even now, we are still signing agreements for more translations. This is very positive for Kannada literature, giving it more visibility and encouraging more translations. Your work gives voice to the Muslim community, especially Muslim women in southern India. Do you think these voices from marginalised communities are still missing from mainstream Indian literature? Yes, for a long time there was no representation of Muslim voices—socially, culturally, or in literature—until we started writing through the Bandaya Sahitya Sanghatane. As an Urdu-speaking Muslim, I faced many challenges. Through Bandaya, our sensibilities were shaped, and I began to see society differently. But when I wanted to write, I had many questions: What should I write about? Who should my characters be? What names should I give them? What background should I choose? I was writing for Kannada-speaking people, but my community was very closed and unexplored in Kannada literature. In our Bandaya workshops, the stalwarts advised me to write about myself, my people, and my home. They said the Muslim community had never really been explored in Kannada literature—religiously, socially, or culturally. Until then, most writers were Brahmin men, not even Brahmin women. They wrote about Muslim men, often as either saintly or villainous, but never as real people with complexities. Are there some South Indian writers from the Muslim community whose work deserves wider readership? Yes, there are many in Tamil and Telugu, especially many Muslim women writers. In Malayalam, too, there are several. For example, Salma from Tamil Nadu is a prominent writer who faced harassment when she started writing. There are many others in Telugu and Malayalam who have already been translated into English and other languages. Even my works were translated quite late compared with them. Are there any books you like to give away as gifts to family or friends? Yes, I often gift Ambedkar's literature, especially Annihilation of Caste. He has written many books, and I like to give them to my relatives and friends. I was very much influenced by Ambedkar's writings, especially during my involvement in social movements. If you were to recommend three classics from Kannada literature to someone new to the language, which would you choose? I would recommend the landmark Kannada novel Kusumabale published in 1988 by Devanuru Mahadeva, a prominent Dalit writer. And Samskara by U.R. Ananthamurthy which was first published in 1965. These are highly regarded classics in Kannada literature. What are you currently reading? Anything on your bedside table? I don't usually keep books on my bedside table. Since February, when my book was longlisted for the Booker Prize, I haven't read anything except newspapers. I've been busy giving interviews. Before that, I read works by Sarah Joseph, a prominent voice in Malayalam literature. If you were going on a long vacation and could take only two or three books, which would you choose? I don't read on vacations. I prefer to enjoy the scenery and make notes about my experiences. I only read when I'm at home. Finally, what advice would you give to young writers, especially from marginalised communities, who are writing in languages other than English? Whatever language you write in, just write. Write and write. Don't wait to write in English. Write in any language you are comfortable with. If your work has potential, it will be translated and recognised. Just continue writing and don't stop. Majid Maqbool is an independent journalist and writer based in Kashmir. Bookmarks is a fortnightly column where writers reflect on the books that shaped their ideas, work, and ways of seeing the world.
The Hindu
23-06-2025
- The Hindu
Cyberabad police launch School Safety Clubs to tackle bullying, abuse and drugs
In a bid to address rising concerns over bullying, child abuse, drug use, and cyber threats in schools, the Cyberabad Police has launched a multi-pronged School Safety Clubs initiative to strengthen child protection measures across educational institutions. During a meeting by the Cyberabad commissionerate, school managements were directed to adopt a child-centric safety framework with clear protocols, awareness campaigns, and reporting mechanisms. Focus on four key areas The initiative mandates schools to focus on four key areas including physical safety, cyber safety, anti-drug abuse, and mental health, each overseen by trained faculty and Balamitra teachers. Institutions were instructed to form School Safety Clubs, conduct regular safety activities, and collectively pledge to uphold child rights and protection standards. Addressing principals and management representatives from the Madhapur zone, DCP Vineeth G. stressed the need for preventive action in light of growing cases of children ending their life by suicides, bullying, substance abuse, and sexual harassment within school environments. He urged schools to involve students in safety decision-making, listen to their concerns, and provide secure, anonymous channels to report abuse or distress. Complaint boxes and helplines to speak without fear The official directed all schools to implement zero-tolerance policies against ragging and bullying, set up anti-ragging committees, monitor vulnerable areas like hostels and transport routes, and ensure the presence of complaint drop boxes and helplines to encourage students to speak up without fear. On the issue of drug use among students, the official warned that possession or consumption of narcotics, even by minors, is a punishable offence under the NDPS Act, and schools could be held responsible if such substances are found on campus. For minors, action will be taken under the Juvenile Justice Act with an emphasis on rehabilitation. Schools were required to report any instance or suspicion of sexual harassment, conduct staff background checks, and establish POCSO Committees. Failure to report abuse can result in legal consequences for school staff. DCP Srujana Karnam of the Women and Child Safety Wing highlighted the department's wider efforts, through cyber safety education, anti-drug drives, and the Suraksha Kavach programme, to create a safe and supportive environment for children. The Safety Clubs, she said, will empower schools to identify, prevent, and address child safety issues more effectively. CHILDLINE 1098, a 24x7 toll-free helpline, was reiterated as a vital emergency contact for children in distress. Madhapur Traffic DCP Sai Manohar also spoke on the need to improve traffic safety during school hours, calling for zebra crossings, signage, speed breakers, traffic marshals, and restricted entry points. He stressed that functional CCTVs, verified personnel, and access control were essential to school security.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Once a bicycle bookseller, publisher Ganesh now basks in Booker glory
Bengaluru: Little did A Ganesh, a small-time bookseller pedalling through Mysuru with bundles of Kannada books in the early 1990s imagine that decades later, he would become the publisher who brought Booker recognition to Kannada literature. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Forced by circumstances to leave home, Ganesh began his career by learning proofreading. "I was drawn to stories. I read K Shivarama Karanth, Poornachandra Tejaswi, Anupama Niranjana, even Phantom comics and Balamitra. I was crazy about stories," he recalled. Over the years, Ganesh dabbled in nearly every corner of the publishing world — as a proofreader at the desk, a reader and customer passionate about Kannada writing, a cycle-based bookseller connecting literature to households, and eventually, as a publisher nurturing voices like Banu Mushtaq through his own imprint, Abhiruchi Prakashana. By 1993, he was cycling around Mysuru, calling out "pustaka, pustaka" (books, books), selling Kannada novels like those of Anupama Niranjana, Triveni, and AN Murthy. "Just like people sold saris or newspapers on cycles, I sold books," he said. Known in the lanes of the city as the man who brought literature to doorsteps, Ganesh would later be christened 'Abhiruchi' Ganesh — a name coined when someone asked him for a bill and publisher DVK Murthy (whose books he sold on the cycle) suggested, "Abhiruchi." Back then, Kannada Book Authority was encouraging Kannada book stores. GT Narayan Rao, a science writer who saw Ganesh pedalling daily, helped him secure books worth Rs 25,000 under the Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara scheme. "That support allowed me to open a store," he said. In 1995, Abhiruchi Prakashana was officially born. He published works of Devanooru Mahadeva and Baraguru Ramachandrappa among others, including Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ganesh's long association with Banu Mushtaq began in 2002, during a protest in Chikkamagaluru over Baba Budangiri. "She was detained, and activist K Ramdas and I went to speak to police. Once she was released, she gave me a script — a set of stories," he recalled. The result was Safira, Banu Mushtaq's first published short story collection, which sold out its first 1,000 copies and was reprinted. To him, her bold, woman-centric writing — dealing with abandonment, clerical injustice, and social marginalisation — stood out. "There are very few Muslim women writing in Kannada — maybe three or four. But her voice was powerful," Ganesh said. He went on to first publish Badavara Magalu Hennalla (2002), which sold 2,000 copies, and in 2013, brought out Haseena Mattu Itara Kathegalu, a five-collection compilation. In 2023, it was expanded with 'Hennu Haddina Swayamvara' to include 47 stories across six compilations. The reprint of 1,000 hardbound copies on April 30 sold out within days after the Booker shortlisting. On May 21, with the prize announcement, demand surged. "We've placed a reprint order for 2,000 more," he said. Ganesh was among those waited for the award announcement at 2.30am. "Banu sent me the link to the event. We got on a call about half-an-hour later — only for 59 seconds — her worried about missing medicines, but filled with joy. She said, 'Kannada and India won today.' I felt like a small-town boy who is overwhelmed when told about having won a big prize," he said.
