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The Wire
a day ago
- General
- The Wire
Banu Mushtaq's Importance Goes Much Beyond the Booker
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories Banu Mushtaq's Importance Goes Much Beyond the Booker Irfan Chowdhury 38 minutes ago Mushtaq's determination and resilience showcases how individuals still continue to fight for greater betterment of society at large. She is a beacon of solidarity. International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq during her felicitation ceremony by the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists, at Gandhi Bhavan, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Photo: PTI/Shailendra Bhojak Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Her eight-minute acceptance speech tells it all: No story is ever small, and together we build a world where every voice is heard and every person belongs. A woman with extraordinary desire to express herself in words. But in which language? As a woman from South India's minority Muslim population, it was her family and community that imposed upon her the Dakhini or southern Urdu – somewhat distinct from the varieties spoken in northern places like Allahabad or Lucknow. But her home state Karnataka's native language, which she chose to write it in, is Kannada. Not many with this profile, particularly in her generation, achieve higher education, let alone dream of writing or pursuing a professional life or even choosing their own life partners, as she did. For a Southasian to win a Booker is no novelty. Many luminaries from the region have been awarded this prestigious literary award for the best single work of sustained fiction over the last few decades. Sir Salman Rushdie not only got the Booker for his acclaimed Midnight's Children but also won the Booker of the Booker, a special award that recognised the best of the prize's winners, and Best of the Booker, at the award's 25th and 40th anniversaries respectively. Other Southasian Booker awardees include Arundhati Roy for her The God of Small Things which had made a big storm with a story based in Kerala, Kiran Desai for The Inheritance of Loss, and Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger, just to name a few. Nor is Banu Mushtaq's Heart Lamp the first translation from Southasia to win the prize. Geetanjali Shree won it for her Hindi book translated to English, Tomb of Sand in 2022. So what's so special about Banu Mushtaq? For one, hers an exceptional tale of a spirited human journey overcoming societal taboos and defying cultural, even habitual boundaries put up by generations of practice. It is a triumph of stories that many may imagine but usually do not get a chance to appreciate, pushed aside amid daily grinds of life, or not prioritised due to stereotypes. To appreciate Mushtaq and her work is to celebrate the diversity of Southasian languages, culture and many minorities. Over a century ago, the iconic poet Rabinrantah Tagore won the Nobel for translating his own work from Bengali to English. However, seldom do we take time to explore works in other regional languages, for example, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese or Balochi. Kannada is estimated to be spoken by 65 million in a region of nearly two billion people. Of course, there is a successful South Indian movie industry and its music that many devour. Eminent local literary figures like R.K. Narayan are widely read. But we rarely take time to hear, learn or share the riches of diversity that our region presents. As tasty cuisines from Southasia's diverse regions whet our appetites, there are plenty of unheard stories and views to enrich our souls, and widen our understanding of each other. Stories which could help us see that deep down we are mere human societies trying to overcome mostly common challenges, regardless of what nationalistic politicians may have us believe Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi Heart Lamp: Selected Stories Penguin, 2025 Mushtaq's achievements have put a spotlight on significant issues worthy of attention. Her stories contain vital social context, focussing on Muslim and Dalit women and children – showcasing her lifelong dedication and commitment to marginalised voices. Through fiction, she captures the textures of life in southern India's patriarchal Muslim society, which she also experiences first-hand as a lawyer fighting for these women. As an activist, her insights carry both emotional depth and political weight, making Heart Lamp a work of both literary and social importance. In Deepa Bhasthi's translation, Mushtaq's work, spanning over three decades, gains a new international audience — a significant milestone given the linguistic and cultural barriers often faced by regional writers, especially women. This award has come at a time when the region from Bangladesh to Pakistan is embroiled in uncertainty and conflicts. Mistrust among communities and countries are high. At a personal level, Mushtaq's success is far more than just another Booker. Over three decades ago, I lived in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, for undergraduate studies in a Muslim neighbourhood, Shivajinagar, just after the demolition of historic Babri Masjid in 1992 and the arrest of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, coinciding with the release of his blockbuster Khal Nayak. Communal tensions ran high, but as a teenager from a Muslim majority Bangladesh, I had the opportunity for casual, unguarded discussions with local Muslims, including over occasional meals at their homes. It was starkly obvious how ostracised ordinary Muslim women were in the glitzy, globalised metropolis Muslim girls in Mushtaq's generation seldom got the chance to finish high school before being married off to begin and look after families. She herself was allowed to attend a Kannada-medium missionary school on condition that she would be able to read and write in Kannada within six months. If this puzzles you, my observation from a long while ago was that Indian Muslims regardless of the regions they were from usually spoke Urdu with varying accents and proficiency as their first tongue, sometimes before the local native languages. There are post-Moghul historical and political reasons for this. What about the situation of Muslim girls in the three decades since? Mushtaq responded to this question from Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed in an English-language video interview for Frontline Magazine, after Heart Lamp was shortlisted for the Booker. She said that there are more Muslim (and other) girls with education and degrees now compared to then, but alas not so for Muslim boys who are accepting jobs, even menial jobs. This discrepancy is probably creating tensions, disharmonious relationships, issues and challenges for women which Mushtaq's work highlights. In fact, listening to Mushtaq in numerous interviews has been truly inspirational. We often hear how successful people overcome unfathomable odds to reach their goals. Mushtaq's obstacles were manifold, they include her own postpartum depression. Her dogged pursuit of raising her voice for marginalised women brought threats and attacks on her. Mushtaq's over three decades-long work encompasses these experiences,portraying the injustices, unfairness and confinement that society subjects girls and women to. Her success is about resilience and defying patriarchy. It is important to realise that Mushtaq would not have achieved her goals, specially the goal of writing, without the help and guidance of her community and wider public – majority non-Muslim. Besides her husband, she mentions a number of local literary societies and her involvement in the Bandaya Sahitya movements in the early 1970s which introduced protest writing by minority communities in the Kannada language, aiming to establish an equal society, without hierarchy – based on caste, creed, gender or languages. While the movement appealed to her as a youngster, Mushtaq struggled not only to choose the language she would write in, but her topics. Workshops and discussions with the Bandaya Sahitya guided her, and she began writing about her own Muslim community and challenging its patriarchy. Recognition of her work should be heartening to all Southasians, helping to remain positive during an uncertain time. Southasian artists, sport personalities have always tried to break the arbitrary boundaries, and the general public also responded positively. Ask many Indians who contributed to Imran Khan's cancer hospital for example. Mushtaq's determination and resilience showcases how individuals still continue to fight for greater betterment of society at large. She is a beacon of solidarity. As she said in her acceptance speech at the Booker award ceremony, 'This moment feels like a thousand fireflies lighting up a single sky – brief, brilliant and utterly collective…' She accepted the honour 'not as an individual but as a voice raised in chorus with so many others.' 'I am happy for the entire world which is full of diversity… this is more than a personal achievement… it is an affirmation that we as individuals and as a global community can try when we embrace diversity, celebrate our differences, and uplift one another… that in the tapestry of human experience every thread holds the weight of the whole… ' Irfan Chowdhury is a public-sector policy analyst and adviser from Bangladesh based in Australia. He writes opinion columns for Bangladeshi dailies and online platforms, like The Daily Star, Dhaka Tribune, Alalodulal, besides Sapan News. This is a Sapan New s syndicated feature. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News The Politics of 'Heart Lamp' Is Profound, Urgent and Reflects the Lived Reality of Millions Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' – Translated By Deepa Bhasthi – Is 2025 International Booker Prize Winner Humour, Scepticism and the Realities of the Familial in Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' 'Heart Lamp' Wins International Booker: Banu Mushtaq's First Reaction Why Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi's International Booker Is a Seminal Moment Adrift in Conscience: 'Small Boat' Navigates Guilt and Apathy, But Finds No Just Shore No Story Is Ever 'Small': Banu Mushtaq's International Booker Acceptance Speech Instances When PM Modi Did Not Congratulate Indians for International Recognition Trump's Drive for Ocean Bed Mining Threatens Law of the Sea View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Was ‘500 pc' sure I will win Booker Prize: Banu Mushtaq
Bengaluru: Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq said on Wednesday that she believed she would win the prize '500 per cent' and she wrote the speech three days ahead of the award ceremony. Mushtaq was speaking at a felicitation event organised by the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists in Bengaluru. 'Initially, I did not think much of it, but then I saw the reactions of people in social media after I was longlisted. Only then I realised the importance of the Booker Prize. So, when my family was sleeping in the night, I sat and wrote the speech that I ended up giving after I won,' said Mushtaq. She said she actually practiced the speech every day from then on, picturing herself holding the Booker Prize. She also recalled how, when her publisher tried to temper her expectations by saying that never in the history of the Booker Prize, a short story collection has won the prize, Mushtaq told the publisher, 'Why won't you believe that we might win? I believe 500 per cent.' She also talked about how people had absolutely no clue about the Kannada language and ended up pronouncing it 'Canada'. 'I made them repeat Kan-na-da,' added Mushtaq. Mushtaq, who was invited to speak at a panel at the Hay Festival 2025 in Wales on May 24 along with Prize director Gaby Wood and judge Anton Hur, said she was impressed with the 'book culture' there. 'The four-hour journey from London itself was so beautiful and reminded me so much of our Sakleshpura and Kodagu (hill stations in Karnataka) or even Kerala. But once there, I realised that the village might be small but it is a mecca for writers and readers. Nearly 25,000 people visit every day and buy books from the 40-odd small bookshops there during the 11 days of the festival,' said Mushtaq. She also said she was impressed by the crowd that stood in line for an autographed 'Heart Lamp' at the festival. 'Think nearly 300 people were there. I signed all books in Kannada,' she added. She said, as per her calculations, she believes her English publisher did Rs 6 crore business after the win. 'My book is also getting translated in 35 global languages and 12 Indian languages,' she added. Mushtaq said after winning, her world, too, really opened up. She is being invited all around the world. 'On June 16, I will go to London. In August, I will visit the Edinburgh Festival. Till next August my schedule is booked. I will be visiting Australia, New York and Bali...,' said the Kannada writer. Noting that she could not wear the Mysore silk saree -- that she deliberately chose to represent Karnataka -- on the winning night because her suitcase was lost in transit, Mushtaq said there's always a next time. She said she finally got her daughter, who was joining her from Bahrain, to bring the saree she wore. 'Guess, I have to win another Booker Prize so that the pending wish of wearing a Mysore silk saree for the Booker Prize reception will come true,' said the award winning writer, as cheers erupted from the crowd.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Never thought I will not write, it is like breathing: Author Banu Mushtaq
NEW DELHI: Over three decades spent chronicling the everyday lives of women in India, International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq says she cannot live without writing as it is like breathing for her. Mushtaq's short story collection "Heart Lamp", translated by Deepa Bhasthi from Kannada to English, became the first Kannada title to receive the prestigious literary award on May 21. The writer, who returned to India on Tuesday, reflected on her career as a lawyer, women's rights activist, a reporter, and a writer in an interview with PTI. "I had to make a lot of effort. I had to write and I had to work hard, I have done all of that. There are many challenges in it. Writing is not that easy, there are many difficulties and challenges in it, I had to face that too. I never thought that I would not write. Every day I believe that I have to write. I cannot live without writing, writing is like breathing for me, that is why I had to write and move forward," Mushtaq said. The winning collection of 12 short stories chronicles the resilience, resistance, wit, and sisterhood of everyday women struggling in patriarchal setup in southern India. Mushtaq and Bhasthi competed against five other international titles for the coveted GBP 50,000 prize. It was a moment of disbelief for Mushtaq, who called her win "a miraculous thing". "The jury chairman delivered his speech. My children and I were watching what he was going to say, when finally the 'Heart Lamp' was announced, our happiness knew no bounds, I became numb for two minutes. I could not understand what I was hearing," the 77-year-old said.
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
Never thought I will not write, it is like breathing: Author Banu Mushtaq
Mushtaq's short story collection "Heart Lamp", translated by Deepa Bhasthi from Kannada to English, became the first Kannada title to receive the prestigious literary award on May 21.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Hindu On Books newsletter: Booker honour for Banu Mushtaq, Deepa Bhasthi, talking to Bhavika Govil and more
Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. Last week was special for Indian literature with Banu Mushtaq winning the International Booker Prize, 2025, for Heart Lamp (And Other Stories/Penguin), translated from the Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi. From the moment it was shortlisted, readers, especially in India, were rooting for Mushtaq and Bhasthi and their chronicle of Muslim women's lives. This was the first time a collection of short stories was shortlisted, surely that meant it could go all the way? It did, and how. Jury Chair Max Porter said the stories were 'profoundly exciting' and that the 'radical translation' hit 'viscerally.' In their impassioned speeches, both Mushtaq and Bhasthi heaped praises on the Kannada language, its 'resilience and nuance', talked about their belief that no story is small, and how literature is one of the last sacred spaces 'where we can view each other's minds if only for a few pages.' They hoped the win would lead to many more stories from unheard corners being written, and more translations from the magical languages of South Asia defying borders and barriers. Mushtaq and Bhasthi's win comes three years after Geetanjali Shree's Booker honour for Tomb of Sand, translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell. In telling stories of women, and what they are up against — from patriarchal mindsets, religious oppression to gender inequality, suffocating homes and terrifying lack of choices — Mushtaq universalises the experiences faced by a majority of women, at least in the subcontinent. Read The Hindu's review of Heart Lamp; a profile of Banu Mushtaq; an interview with the writer and translator soon after their nomination was announced and The Hindu editorial on what the prize will mean for Indian writing in translation. In reviews, we read two cricket memoirs by Mohinder Amarnath and Syed Kirmani, Pat Cummins' philosophy of life, a book on birders. We also talk to Bhavika Govil about her new book. Books of the week What do athletes want to convey when they write memoirs? Is it often a careful extension of their image? Two recent books by Indian cricketing legends — Fearless (HarperCollins) by Mohinder Amarnath (with Rajender Amarnath) and Stumped (Penguin) by Syed Kirmani (with Debashish Sengupta and Dakshesh Pathak) — lend credence to the argument that they may be honest and forthright in their assessments of their own selves and the eras they played in and lived through, but all of it is bound by the persona the sportspersons want to project. In his review, N. Sudarshan writes that the stories flow from the cover images. Amarnath's is of him executing the pull without the protection of a helmet, a shot synonymous with the batter and considered among the most daring strokes. The overarching theme in the book is of his many pitched battles against deadly fast bowlers like Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Imran Khan, his many selection controversies, the machinations of the higher-ups and his multiple comebacks. The cover image of Kirmani's book, on the other hand, is a rather sedate and inexpressive photograph of him staidly waiting for the red cherry to nestle in his gloves. It seems like an ode to the book title, the tagline (Life Behind and Beyond the Twenty-Two Yards), and the sad fact that the great wicket-keeper's time in Test whites ended two shy of 200 dismissals. But says Sudarshan, what both books lack is a compelling picture of the eras Amarnath and Kirmani played their cricket in. 'While the volumes are no doubt windows into their respective sporting lives, they could have also shed more light on the culture of the sport back in the day.' The Australian spearhead and skipper Pat Cummins' Tested (HarperCollins) is a book on decisions, choices, thoughts and instinct, and the way they all combine to shape and impact lives. Cummins, with the aura he has, could have easily written about himself, writes the reviewer K.C. Vijaya Kumar, but instead he declares: 'I didn't want to focus on myself, as I might with a memoir.' Divided into 11 chapters, every part is an extended conversation with an expert in their relevant field. The array of luminaries are eclectic, be it former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, cancer researcher Richard Scolyer, producer Ronnie Screwvala, speedster and coach Dennis Lillee, or even the author's spouse Becky. 'The structure is woven around informal questions and the answers are then juxtaposed with how Cummins himself has approached a few critical points, both in his life and in cricket.' The 12 chapters in The Search for India's Rarest Birds (Indian Pitta/Juggernaut), edited by Shashank Dalvi and Anita Mani, have a selection of birds that have been chosen through different forms of observation: the Pink-headed duck chapter by Aasheesh Pittie talks about how the bird was formally described based on a painting of Indian specimens; art led to science. Ornithologist Pamela Rasmussen studied taxidermied forest owlets in the U.K. and the U.S.; she pursued the bird in the forests of Maharashtra; and a strange taxidermied model led to the rediscovery of the real bird. In her review, Neha Sinha says that when she opened this book, she expected to find historical records of white men and their shikar in South Asia. 'It is enriching to find instead a book that is modern. Most importantly, though the birds are coveted, they are not trophies — each piece wraps fondness and field work for the avian object of affection in a manner that suggests care, not conquest.' Spotlight In her debut novel, Hot Water (HarperCollins), Bhavika Govil narrates the story of a single mother and her two young children. Her aim, as she tells Vidhya Anand, is to highlight the lived experiences of different characters. She wanted to explore issues of gender, sexuality, and the inner world of children. 'For instance, can you be a good mother even if you're not a conventional mother?' Govil wanted to analyse how lonely mothers feel, especially single mothers. Asked about her thoughts on the novel with a complex theme, Govil said, 'I think we underestimate the smaller voices in the room, whether they're younger or different. It's important to me with this book to bring them to the fore.' She is also excited about this reaching the right reader, the person 'who's swimming in the dark and is looking for a little bit of light.' Browser Kamal Nayan Choubey traces the genesis, historical journey, and the functions of the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram or VKA, the tribal wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The VKA has been expanding its footprint in tribal areas, trying to bring about changes, he writes in Adivasi or Vanvasi: Tribal India & the Politics of Hindutva (Vintage). (Vintage). Three historians, Romila Thapar, Kumkum Roy, Preeti Gulati, from three generations reflect on their lives and why they decided to engage with a demanding discipline. From personal experience of Independence and Partition to fractured modern times, they explain the different ways in which women do history in Women Writing History (Zubaan Books). (Zubaan Books). Rafael Nadal had a mind-boggling 14 French Open titles when he announced his retirement from professional tennis last year. Roland Garros paid a wonderful tribute to the Spanish star with rivals on court and friends off it Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray attending the ceremony in Paris on Sunday (May 25, 2025). This is the perfect time to read about Nadal's journey and legacy in Christopher Clarey's new book, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and his Kingdom of Clay (Hachette India). (Hachette India). The Cave of Echoes: Stories about Gods, Animals and Other Strangers (Speaking Tiger) by Wendy Doniger celebrates storytelling, and the rich diversity of myths that people live by. Drawing on Hindu and Greek mythology, Biblical parables, and modern mythologies, Doniger encourages readers to be interested in diverse cultures.
