Writer's duty is to stay true to what they believe: Banu Mushtaq

INTERNATIONAL Booker prize winner Banu Mushtaq said her stories are pro-people and filled with hope, avoiding conflict and despair.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Mysuru

Speaking on 'Lighting the Way: Kannada, Women and the Booker's International Stage" during the 9th edition of the Mysuru Literature Festival 2025, organised by the Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust and Mysuru Book Clubs Charitable Trust at Hotel Southern Star here on Saturday, Mushtaq, who is also an activist and lawyer, explained that while lawyers and activists try to resolve conflicts and bring issues to a logical conclusion, as a writer she does not offer ready-made solutions.

"In my stories, I try to motivate readers to find solutions themselves. Readers will discover hope in the characters I've created," she said.

Recalling the 1970s, when there were agitations around issues of farmers, women, language, and the environment and the 1980s, which saw the rise of Dalit Bandaya Sahitya, feminist writing, and Muslim-sensitive literature in Karnataka, Mushtaq said there were around eight to ten Muslim writers inspired by Bandaya Sahitya.