Banu Mushtaq Discusses Booker Win Impact and Challenges Faced as Activist Writer

Banu Mushtaq, the 2025 International Booker Prize winner for her Kannada short story collection 'Heart Lamp,' shared at the Jaipur Literature Festival that her newfound fame has limited her writing time. She recounted facing harassment, including an attempted knife attack, due to her activism against patriarchy, communalism, and caste hierarchies. Despite protests and threats during the Mysuru Dasara festival inauguration, she continues her work with ongoing security support. Mushtaq plans to release her seventh short story collection soon.