Banu Mushtaq - Age, Wiki and Bio | Lawyer, Social Activist

Bio/Wiki

Birth Name	Syeda Khushtara Banu
Known For	Author of the award-winning book Heart Lamp: Selected Stories (2025)

Degrees	Graduation degree in Science Bachelor's in LLB
School	Urdu Primary School, Arsikere, Mysore

Religion	Islamic
Hobbies	Writing Travelling

Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	1974

Siblings

Brothers	2
Sisters	5

Spouse

Mohiyuddin Mushtaq (Businessman)

Children

Son	Taher Mushtaq
Daughters	3

Debut

Book	Heart Lamp: Selected Stories (2024)

Awards

Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award (1999)
International Women’s Award for Radio and Television (1999)
Karnataka Women Writers’ Association’s Gudibandde Poornima Best Poetess Award (1999)
Karnataka Women’s Writers’ Association’s H.V. Savitramma Dattinidhi Award (2000)
Karnataka Government’s Rajyotsava award for literature (2002)
Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award (2004)
Akhil Bharatiya Jain Women’s Mahastambhshekha Award (2004)
Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award
PEN English Translate Award (2024)
International Booker Prize (2025) for Heart Lamp: Selected Stories, translated by Deepa Bhasthi

Advocacy

Involved in various social justice movements and has written extensively on issues related to women, Muslims, farmers, and Dalits.

Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/banumushtaq/
Twitter	https://x.com/BanuMushtaq
LinkedIn	https://www.linkedin.com/in/banu-mushtaq-180569268/

Banu Mushtaq, originally Syeda Khushtara Banu, is a well-known Kannada writer and social activist from Karnataka.
She began her education in a strict Urdu school but later excelled at a Kannada-medium school despite initial challenges.
Banu was the eldest of eight siblings in a family where her father was a health inspector known for his generosity.
She faced significant resistance for pursuing her education and career, especially in the context of conservative family expectations.
Banu had a tumultuous early marriage but persevered to become a prominent voice in social activism and writing.
She has faced threats and social boycotts due to her advocacy for women's rights in religious spaces.