Banu Mushtaq facts for kids

Banu Mushtaq was born on April 3, 1948. She is a writer, activist, and lawyer from Karnataka, India. She writes in the Kannada language. Banu Mushtaq is famous for her book Heart Lamp. This book is a collection of her short stories. It was translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi and won the International Booker Prize in 2025.

Banu Mushtaq has written many books. She has published six collections of short stories. She has also written a novel, a collection of essays, and a book of poems. Her stories have been translated into several languages. These include Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and English.

Banu Mushtaq's Life and Activism

Banu Mushtaq grew up in a Muslim family in Hassan, Karnataka. When she was eight years old, she started school at a Kannada-language missionary school. She was told she had to learn to read and write Kannada very quickly. Banu surprised everyone by starting to write after only a few days!

Unlike what was expected in her community, she went to university. She also married for love when she was 26 years old.

She worked as a reporter for a newspaper called Lankesh Patrike. For a few months, she also worked for All India Radio in Bengaluru.

Since the 1980s, Banu Mushtaq has been an activist. She works to fight against unfair rules and problems in society in Karnataka.

In 2000, some people tried to stop her and her family from being part of their community. This happened because she spoke up for the right of Muslim women to enter mosques. During this time, she faced challenges and threats, but her husband supported her.

In the early 2000s, Banu Mushtaq joined a group called Komu Souhardha Vedike. They protested against efforts to stop Muslims from visiting a special shrine in Baba Budangiri.

Banu Mushtaq has also supported the right of Muslim students to wear a hijab in schools. This right has been challenged in Karnataka.

She can speak Kannada, Hindi, Dakhni Urdu, and English.

Her Journey as a Writer

Banu Mushtaq loved writing from a young age. However, she did not become a published writer until she was 29. This was after she became a new mother and wanted to explore her feelings. Writing helped her understand her experiences. Much of her writing focuses on issues important to women.

She has published many books, including six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection, and a poetry collection. Her work has been translated into Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and English. One of her stories, Karinaagaragalu, was made into a Kannada film in 2003. The film was called Hasina.

About Heart Lamp

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories was Banu Mushtaq's first full book translated into English. It was published in 2025 by And Other Stories. This book is a collection of stories about women in Muslim communities in southern India.

The translator, Deepa Bhasthi, started translating Banu Mushtaq's work in 2022. Deepa Bhasthi chose twelve stories for Heart Lamp. These stories came from six different collections Banu Mushtaq had published between 1990 and 2023.

In May 2025, Heart Lamp won the 2025 International Booker Prize. This was a very special award! Banu Mushtaq was the first Kannada-language writer to have her work nominated for this prize. Deepa Bhasthi was the first Indian translator to win the prize. Also, Heart Lamp was the first collection of short stories ever to win the International Booker Prize.

The stories in Heart Lamp show Banu Mushtaq's experiences as a journalist and lawyer. They focus on women's rights and how people resist unfair systems in her part of the country.

Max Porter, who led the judges for the Booker International Prize, said the stories are about women's rights. He also said they show "extraordinary accounts of patriarchal systems and resistance." But most importantly, he called them "beautiful accounts of everyday life and particularly the lives of women." The Guardian newspaper said the book's "tone varies from quiet to comic, but the vision is consistent." They called it a "wonderful collection."

Awards and Recognition

Banu Mushtaq has received several important awards for her writing and activism:

• 1999: Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award
• Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award
• 2024: PEN English Translate Award, for Deepa Bhasthi's translation of Haseena and Other Stories
• 2025: International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi