EXCLUSIVE | Banu Mushtaq: I started writing to challenge patriarchy | International Booker Prize

In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, acclaimed Kannada writer, activist, and advocate Banu Mushtaq speaks candidly about her International Booker Prize-shortlisted collection Heart Lamp, the struggles of Muslim women in Karnataka, and her lifelong fight against patriarchy. In an interview that is equal parts personal and political, Mushtaq reflects on decades of writing, her roots in the Bandaya (protest) literary movement, and the deeply embedded caste, class, and gender hierarchies she has challenged through her work.

Context:
Banu Mushtaq is a towering figure in progressive Kannada literature. A former journalist and an outspoken advocate, she has written across genres—fiction, poetry, essays—and Heart Lamp is a curated collection of 12 short stories written over three decades (1990–2023). The stories portray the inner lives of Muslim women in southern India, offering an unflinching look at their struggles and resilience.

Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Heart Lamp marks a historic moment: it's the first time a work in Kannada has received this honour. The book gives voice to lives often pushed to the margins, speaking truth to power in the face of patriarchy, religious orthodoxy, and social injustice.


Highlights:
Banu Mushtaq on the personal roots of Heart Lamp
How the Bandaya movement shaped her writing
Her early struggles as a young Muslim woman in a small town
The influence of her activism on her literary voice
Reflections on censorship, backlash, and being boycotted for speaking out
Her thoughts on the state of Muslim women today and calls for community-driven reform
The story behind the short story “Black Cobras” and its film adaptation. "Haseena"

Perfect for:
*Readers of feminist and socially engaged literature
*Fans of regional language writing and Indian literary movements
*Those interested in stories about Muslim communities in India
*Viewers looking for literary voices of resistance and reform *Anyone interested in how personal experience shapes powerful storytelling
*Those who appreciate interviews with bold, fearless women writers

Credits:
Interview by Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed
Camera by B K Vasanth Kumar
Editing by Razal Pareed
Produced by Saatvika Radhakrishna

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