Booker winner Banu Mushtaq named president of 88th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana

In a moment of pride for Kannada literature, celebrated author and international Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq has been chosen as the President of the 88th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana. The decision was made unanimously during the Kannada Sahitya Parishat’s Executive Committee meeting, chaired by Parishat President Nadoja Mahesh Joshi, held at a private hotel in Ballari.

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Banu Mushtaq, hailing from Hassan district, is widely known for her powerful short stories that give voice to women’s experiences and social realities. Her acclaimed short story collection  Heart Lamp (Edeya Hanate) won the international Booker Prize recently, putting Kannada literature on the global stage.

Her appointment as Sammelana President is being seen as a fitting tribute to her contribution to Kannada literature and her role in bringing regional writing into the international spotlight. Speaking after the meeting, Mahesh Joshi confirmed that the mega literary event will take place in Ballari this December, where Banu Mushtaq will preside over the proceedings, addressing thousands of literary enthusiasts, scholars, and writers.

The Executive Committee also announced that Deepa Basti, the translator of Heart Lamp from Kannada to English, will be specially honoured during the Sammelana. Deepa Basti, who hails from Madikeri, stood alongside Banu Mushtaq when they received the Booker Prize at a ceremony in London on May 21, 2025, a historic moment for Kannada literature and translation.