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New Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
I won't accuse, but I will put on record my silences in my autobiography: International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq
Banu, Does writing get complicated after winning an award? How do you manage the pressure? Banu Mushtaq: Awards bring joy, but also expectations. After the award, everything changed. There's a lot of travel. I lose my personal time, but I'm happy. I meet people who have fought alongside me from the beginning. Interacting with them gives me special energy. I haven't written anything since winning the Booker. I don't recall writing anything recently, I've been too busy. But the award has given me confidence and encouragement. Writing remains a deeply private act, whether people are watching or not. And I'm happy about that. Can you tell us about the first story you ever wrote? What made you write that first sentence? Banu Mushtaq: I've been writing since childhood. I can't remember the first sentence now. In college, I wrote a story about a woman facing deep emotional tension due to her married life. She tried, she struggled, and ultimately died by suicide. I don't know why I wrote it — I had no personal experience of that. The story was titled Am I the Culprit? (Am I Apradhi?). Unfortunately, I didn't preserve it, but I remember it was published in Prajamata, a prominent Kannada weekly, and I can still recall the cover page. You're working on your autobiography. How truthful can a memoir really be? Are there things you're determined to put on record? Banu Mushtaq: People often say that writers don't tell the full truth in autobiographies. But I want to tell the truth, and truth is many-layered. There's the truth of events, and then the truth as conveyed through fiction. I cannot wear masks in my memoir. But even so, memory is a tricky alley. What I'm determined to put on record now are the silences, the struggles of being a Muslim woman writer, the politics of literary spaces, the fierce joys, and quiet devastations that shaped me. This is not a confession; it's a witnessing. There will be no complaints, no accusations. But I want to bare my life. I want to say many things that have been layered within me. In Heart Lamp, Mehrun is in despair and is eventually rescued by her daughter. It's a deeply intimate and haunting story, drawn from your own experience. How did you find the emotional distance to fictionalise such pain? Banu Mushtaq: That story carries the scent of my wounds. To write it, I had to step aside and let Mehrun speak, not as me, but as someone with her own voice and despair. Distance didn't come easily. It came with time, tears, and trust in the healing power of fiction. It was cathartic, but not sentimental. I wanted the truth, sculpted through story. I was very emotional. I once tried to end my life by pouring kerosene on myself. But Mehrun's story is different. She had no one. She was surrounded only by despair. In her marital and parental homes, no one supported her. She was drowning until her daughter, a minor, came to her rescue. In situations of conflict between parents, children often become wiser. Salma became an adult too early. She lost her childhood. There's no black-and-white morality in your stories. For example, in The High-Heeled Shoe, Nayaz both loves and tortures his wife. Why do your women characters often endure so much? Banu Mushtaq: What choice do they have? Patriarchy begins at home. Even if a woman leaves her husband, where will she go? Predators are everywhere, even at the workplace. She must earn, find shelter, and try to live with dignity. But even as a beggar or domestic worker, patriarchy haunts her. If she returns to her mother's home, she might be turned away. If she finds work, her employer may exploit her. Patriarchy follows her everywhere, even in death. This is why she endures. This is how she protests in her own way. I believe 50% of women would leave their partners if they had shelter. But they don't. Not even children are safe. In the womb itself, a girl child is aborted. There are posters in Rajasthan: "Spend ₹600 now, save ₹6 lakhs later." Misogyny begins before birth. Where should she go? You began writing during the Bandaya Sahitya movement in Karnataka. How did that shape your writing, both in content and style? Do you still feel that spirit today? Banu Mushtaq: Absolutely. Bandaya gave me permission to be angry in Kannada. It allowed me to disrupt, to write. I was one of the few Muslim women in that space. It was liberating but isolating. There was a fire, a solidarity with others who burned with questions. Bandaya made me brave. That spirit still burns in my writing quieter now, more precise. Bandaya is a lens, a way to perceive and internalize the world. Its slogan — Hudga aagali, kavya haadga aagali! (Let this sword become a poem) is deeply humane. It doesn't ask the sword to cut, but to unite. That gave me the strength to use my craft with purpose. In a recent event, someone asked why your stories focus mostly on the Muslim community. Why haven't we seen more representation of others? Banu Mushtaq: Bandaya aimed to challenge caste, gender, economic oppression. But after the Babri Masjid demolition, my focus shifted. I began asking questions about the demonisation of Muslims, denial of rights, and treatment as second-class citizens. These themes emerged in my later work. In Heart Lamp, my first collection, such stories aren't included. But I've written over 60 stories in six collections. Only 12 were selected for Heart Lamp. In my second collection, which is currently being translated, you'll see characters from diverse communities and broader themes. In Red Lungi, you explore class in subtle ways — like the contrast in how rich and poor boys undergo circumcision. There's also a Hindu doctor performing the procedure. Was that intentional? Banu Mushtaq: Of course. Surgery has no religion. Muslims don't insist on a Muslim doctor for medical procedures, we go to the best available doctor. Whether it's for a cold or for circumcision, what matters is care, not religion. What do you hope your stories will mean to the next generation of women who are writing, resisting, and trying to be heard? Banu Mushtaq: Wherever patriarchy exists, my stories are reaching there and resonating. The Booker jury said these stories are relevant because they have universality. These aren't just issues of Muslim women. They are the struggles of all women, poor, marginalised, oppressed by patriarchy. As long as patriarchy exists, my stories will be heard, discussed, cherished, and they will haunt readers. I'm certain of that.
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Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Who is Banu Mushtaq, first Kannada author to win International Booker?
Banu Mushtaq, a 77-year-old author, lawyer, activist and fearless voice for women and the marginalised, has made literary history. She became the first Kannada writer to win the International Booker Prize, sharing the prestigious honour with her translator Deepa Bhasthi for the short story collection Heart Lamp. The award, which includes a £50,000 prize, marks a series of firsts—the first time a Kannada work has received the accolade and the first short story collection to win the International Booker. 'This feels like a thousand fireflies lighting a single sky – brief, brilliant and utterly collective,' Mushtaq said. 'I accept this great honour not as an individual but as a voice raised in chorus with so many others.' What is Banu Mushtaq's Heart Lamp and why it won the Booker Prize Published in English for the first time, Heart Lamp is a collection of 12 stories written between 1990 and 2023. It explores the everyday lives and struggles of Muslim women in Karnataka, critiquing how religion, politics and social norms impose suffering and silence. 'My stories are about women—how religion, society and politics demand unquestioning obedience from them, and in doing so, inflict inhumane cruelty upon them,' Mushtaq told The Booker Prize. The judges praised Heart Lamp for its 'immense emotional and moral weight' and for giving voice to women on the margins. How Banu Mushtaq's upbringing shaped her literary voice Mushtaq's literary journey began in middle school, and her first story was published at age 26 in Prajamata, a Kannada magazine. Though Urdu was her first language, her progressive father enrolled her in a convent school. Kannada became her chosen language of resistance. In interviews with Vogue and The Week, she described being pushed into domesticity after her love marriage, battling postpartum depression, and surviving a suicide attempt. 'Once, in a fit of despair, I poured white petrol on myself… intending to set myself on fire,' she said. Her husband intervened and begged her not to abandon their child. That moment, she said, brought her back from the brink. Banu Mushtaq: A fearless activist beyond the literary world Mushtaq has long been an outspoken advocate for women's rights and social justice. She served as a journalist for over a decade and held two terms on the Hassan City municipal council. Her activism has drawn threats and violence—including a knife attack and a fatwa after she supported women's right to pray in mosques. Her writing has been shaped by Karnataka's progressive movements in the 1970s and 1980s, including the Dalit, environmental, and women's rights struggles. 'The pain, suffering and helpless lives of these women create a deep emotional response within me, compelling me to write,' she said. Other works by Banu Mushtaq and her literary recognition In addition to Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq has authored: Six short story collections One novel One essay collection One poetry collection Notable titles include Haseena Matthu Ithara Kathegalu (2013) and Hennu Haddina Swayamvara (2023). She has received the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award. Her work has been translated into Urdu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, but Heart Lamp is her first full-length translation into English. Her short story Kari Nagaragalu was adapted into the National Award-winning film Hasina (2004), directed by Girish Kasaravalli. Who is Deepa Bhasthi, the translator of Heart Lamp? Deepa Bhasthi is a writer and translator based in Karnataka's Kodagu. According to the Booker Prize Foundation, she works across literature, art, and cultural research. Her translation of Heart Lamp is the first full-length English translation of Banu Mushtaq's work. The Booker Prize profile states that she is currently based in India and works on a range of cultural and literary projects.
India.com
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Banu Mushtaq: First Kannada Author To Win International Booker Prize 2025 For ‘Heart Lamp'
In a historic moment for Indian literature, 77-year-old Kannada writer, lawyer, and activist Banu Mushtaq has won the International Booker Prize for her short story collection Heart Lamp. She is the first Kannada author to receive this prestigious award. The book includes 12 stories that highlight the daily lives and challenges of Muslim women in Karnataka over a period of 30 years, from 1990 to 2023. Deepa Bhasthi, who translated the collection into English, also received the International Booker Prize along with Banu Mushtaq. With this win, Mushtaq becomes part of a distinguished group of Indian authors who have received the prestigious award since it began in 1969. This list includes V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai, Aravind Adiga, and Geetanjali Shree. Who is Banu Mustaq? Banu Mushtaq, who comes from Hassan in Karnataka, wrote her first short story when she was in middle school. She gained attention in the literary world when her first story was published at the age of 26 in the popular Kannada magazine Prajamata. According to her profile on The Booker Prize website, she has written six collections of short stories, a novel, a collection of essays, and a book of poetry. In an interview with the Booker Prize Foundation, Mushtaq shared that her inspiration came from the Dalit movement, farmers' movement, language movement, women's struggles, and environmental activism in the 1970s, all of which she experienced while growing up in Karnataka. Banu Mustaq and her writings In Heart Lamp, the female characters reflect a strong spirit of resistance and resilience. Mushtaq later worked as a reporter for a well-known local tabloid and was involved with the Bandaya movement, which focused on fighting social and economic injustices through literature and activism. After a decade in journalism, she left the field and became a lawyer to support her family. Over her long and distinguished career, she has published a large body of work, including six short story collections, a novel, and an essay collection. However, her sharp and powerful writing has also made her a target of hatred. Besides her award-winning work, she has written six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection, and a poetry collection. She has received recognition from the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe awards for her contributions. Additionally, her first five short stories were published together in a single volume titled Haseena Matthu Ithara Kathegalu in 2013, and in 2023, another collection called Hennu Haddina Swayamvara was released.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Who is Banu Mushtaq? Indian author wins International Booker Prize
Banu Mushtaq, a writer who talks about women's lives, caste, power and oppression, has been awarded the International Booker Prize along with her translator Deepa Bhasthi for her book 'Heart Lamp'. Karnataka-based Banu Mushtaq, 77, is the first Kannada author to win the annual Booker Prize given to the best English-translated fiction. Talking about this breathtaking moment, Mushtaq said, 'This feels like a thousand fireflies lighting a single sky – brief, brilliant and utterly collective.' Moreover, this is the second Indian book to win this international honour after Geetanjali Shree and translator Daisy Rockwell's Tomb of Sand (Ret Samadhi) in 2022. Apart from her life as an author Mushtaq is also known for her advocacy of women's rights and her legal work questioning discrimination. Mushtaq says her stories reflect how religion, society and politics demand unquestioning obedience from women and in the process, inflict cruelty upon them. In her personal life as well, she fought the patriarchal norm and defied the social expectations by marrying a man of her choice. Her journey of writing began in middle school when she wrote her first short story. Though she started writing early on, it caught attention when her first story was published in the popular Kannada magazine Prajamata at the age of 26. Born in a large Muslim family she received enormous support from her father even against the authoritative nature of her school and when she fought against it. Mushtaq's brilliant writing stems from the progressive movements in Karnataka, which inspired her works. She travelled across states and involved herself in the Bandaya Sahitya movement, a progressive protest that challenged cast and class oppression. Her engagement with the lives of the people who struggled gave her the strength to write. Other than this award winning work, she is the author of six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection and a poetry collection. For her work she has been recognised by the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe awards. Further, her first five short stories have been compiled in one consolidated volume in 2013 called Haseena Matthu Ithara Kathegalu, and in 2023, a compilation called Hennu Haddina Swayamvara (2023).
