International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inspires audiences at SIBF
- Last updated: November 18, 2025 | 10:50 ..
Raghib Hassan, Staff Reporter
The 44th edition of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) concluded on Sunday evening, leaving book lovers to crave for more and start waiting until it returns next year with another set of constellation of beautiful brains, but on the last day, the SIBF welcomed 2025 International Booker Prize winner from India, Banu Mushtaq. Banu shot to global fame by becoming the first Kannada language writer to win an international award.
Banu is a distinguished Kannada writer, activist, and lawyer from Hassan, Karnataka, renowned for her bold literary voice and social advocacy. Her work, deeply rooted in the Bandaya Sahitya protest movement, explores themes of gender and marginalization in southern India.
Banu has authored six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection, and a poetry volume, with translations in Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and English. Her landmark anthology “Heart Lamp,” translated by Deepa Bhasthi, won the 2025 International Booker Prize, making her the first Kannada writer to receive the honour.
Banu interacted and inspired Sharjah audience at a session moderated by Farah Fawdi Ali on Sunday morning at forum 2. She shared her journey of being an activist, lawyer and a writer. Talking about that she said, “First I am an activist, then a lawyer then a writer.”
On May 20, 2025, Banu received the International Booker Prize. Talking about that experience, she said, “A lot has changed since then. I did not expect the award. It was highly unexpected. I am a regional language writer and my language is completely local but it gives me immense pleasure to receive this prestigious award.”
When you become a global to local you need to travel a lot and I am doing that. I am going through a transitional period and I am experiencing it, she said.
Addressing a bunch of aspiring writers she said, “Write, write and write. That’s all. Don’t plan and don’t wait for the moment to arrive. Now you have got mobile phone with you, you can write on that. Writing technique has improved a lot.”
Sharing her personal experience, she said, “I am travelling 28 days in a month. I don’t get time time to sit and write, but I write while travelling in the aircraft or at the airport lounge. I carry pen and a paper with me and I write whenever I can. To excel in any field, you have to work for 10, 000 hours to become an expert. So start writing.”
She observed, “I have tried all form of literature. I have written short stories, novel and poems. Among all forms of literature, I like short stories the most. I am fond of short stories.
It was Banu’s first visit to the SIBF. She loved the atmosphere of SIBF. Praising she said, “It is something different I am witnessing here. I have seen lots of family members with their children attending the book fair. Book culture is very amazing here.” Even I noticed lots of young audiences were in attendance on Saturday and Sunday at my events. I have noticed organisers had to arrange extra chairs in the middle of the programe. And this is wonderful,” shared the award-winning writer.
An avid reader herself, when asked to share her favourite writers, she said, “I have no favourites. I love to read everything that comes my way. I don’t have special liking and disliking. I love reading and I respect all writers. I like to read all kind of books. I read Bible and Bhagwat Geeta too. I read everything. Books are source of knowledge.”
She added, “Till now Booker had never ever recognised short stories collection. They never thought that it was fit for the competiton. This is for the first time my book was selected. This is a landmark moment. I am happy that short stories got a place.”
She added, I was happy that all the unheard voices of Dalits, farmers, women, and other marginalized section group at last was heard by the world.
Banu’s characters in her stories are very important and very inspiring. Talking about it, she said, “I don’t choose characters, rather they choose me. They all are part and parcel of the story. My protagonists are not scholar, educated or comes from high-class rather they all naïve, simple and are ordinary women.”
“Unlike novels, short stories have to be short. You can’t spend words. You have to use your words very carefully. When you use small stories, characters have to be strong, said the humble author.”
When asked about her plan to write her book in English language, she said, “I don’t aspire to write in English language, I can write but in literature when you have to express, it should be highly artistic and it only comes from your command over your mother tongue. I can write with high precision in my native language. Yes, I can write essays, or speech in English but i feel creative writing is very different. “
Sharing her thought on the role of a writer she said, “As a writer I have to be responsible to take sides. Taking side is very important. I visited to many foreign universities, including the King’s College London. There also they teach that a writer has to be impartial or non-judgemental, but I am judgemental and I take sides of marginalised section of society like Dalits or women and farmers. I feel it is my social responsibility to be with them.”
Banu has started working on her autobiography. She revealed, “I have finished half of that but half still needs to be done. I need time to sit down and write.”
Talking about translation, she said, “Many writers will feel unhappy with the translation or adaptation of their books but I consider translation as a bridge and translation should continue and I am very much happy with my translator Deepa Bhasthi.”