International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inspires audiences at SIBF

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.

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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.