HASSAN: Wednesday marked an important and memorable day for the family of noted literateur and advocate Banu Mustaq, who bagged the prestigious International Booker Prize for her Kannada short story Heart Lamp in London.
Banu's husband Mustaq, son Thahir, and granddaughter took part in the celebration, where they exchanged greetings and distributed sweets to people who visited their house.
Banu Mustaq, who hails from Hassan city, has received numerous awards for her outstanding service in the field of literature including the Kannada Literary Award, B Sarojadevi Literary Award, and three national awards for her story Haseena, a movie directed by Girish Kasaravalli.
Born in 1948, Banu also worked as a journalist for a decade. She served as the district reporter for Lankesh Patrike for several years. Banu has also published Karinagaragalu, Hanate Mudida Haadi, and Benkiyamale, collections of poems.
Speaking on the occasion, her husband Mustaq said, “We were on our toes waiting for the good news. The award should be dedicated to the field of Kannada literature. The award also enriched the Kannada language as it has been recognised at the international level,” he said.
Mustaq also said that his wife Banu had spoken to him and shared the happiest moments of the presentation ceremony. “She was overjoyed,” he added.
The Booker Award includes a memento and a cash prize of Rs 57,000 in Indian currency. The cash prize will be shared equally between Banu and the translator of Heart Lamp, Deepa Basti.
Expressing his happiness over Banu Mustaq receiving the Booker Prize for her contribution to Kannada literature, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah congratulated her through his X account. The CM also said that Banu Mustaq had hoisted the Kannada literary flag at the international level.