Tue Mar 04 08:11:47 UTC 2025: ## Kannada Author Banu Mushtaq Makes History with International Booker Prize Nomination
**Hassan, Karnataka –** Banu Mushtaq, a 76-year-old Kannada writer, advocate, politician, and activist, has become the first Kannada author to be nominated for the prestigious International Booker Prize. Her short story collection, “Heart Lamp,” translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, was longlisted among 13 works.
Mushtaq’s writing career spans six decades, beginning with her first story published in 1974. She honed her skills as a reporter for Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada tabloid, before focusing on her legal career. Despite challenges including a backlash for her outspoken views on women’s rights in mosques and an attack on her life, Mushtaq continued to publish numerous acclaimed works, exploring themes of Muslim family life and women’s empowerment.
“Heart Lamp” comprises 12 stories originally published between 1990 and 2023, showcasing Mushtaq’s distinctive style, which the International Booker Prize panel described as “building disconcerting emotional heights out of a rich spoken style.” The collection has already won the English PEN translation award.
Mushtaq’s journey began in the 1950s when, as an eight-year-old girl, she was reluctantly admitted to a Christian missionary school in Shivamogga, proving her linguistic aptitude by mastering Kannada within days. Her determination and resilience are reflected in her writing, making her a significant figure in Kannada literature and a trailblazer for Indian authors on the global literary stage. She continues to write, working on both a new short story collection and her autobiography.
First Piper 