International Booker Prize-winning author Banu Mushtaq inaugurated the Mysuru Dasara, describing it as a symbol of Karnataka’s collective culture. Calling Goddess Chamundeshwari a symbol of women’s power, she urged people to embrace harmony, respect democracy and uphold cultural unity amid controversy
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defended the decision to invite Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate Mysuru Dasara, calling it a secular festival for all communities. He accused the BJP of politicising the issue and rejected criticism of Mushtaq’s past remarks.
The International Booker Prize’s practice of sharing credit and prize money equally between author and translator is commendable, especially when translators are ignored in publishing rights, award credits, book reviews, and promotions
Banu Mushtaq’s ‘Heart Lamp’, winning the 2025 International Booker Prize — the first ever for a Kannada work, marks the triumph of the power of vernacular literature over systemic biases
