International Booker Winner Banu Mushtaq Calls Writing an Act of Resistance
Jaipur witnessed powerful words on Thursday. International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq delivered a compelling keynote address at the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival. She described writing as "an act of survival" and "often an act of resistance." This resistance emerges in societies marked by inequality, violence, silence, and erasure.
From Personal Grief to Social Activism
Mushtaq revealed her writing journey began with documenting "the unspoken grief of women" and "the silences inside homes." She shared that she initially did not see herself as a social activist. "I was simply trying to understand the lives around me," she explained. "The silences inside homes, the unspoken grief of women, the quiet humiliations that never reached public language."
She later realized this simple act of paying attention was already a form of resistance. For many writers, writing has never been a choice detached from life. It functions as a vital form of social activism.
Writing Begins in the Body and Experience
Mushtaq emphasized that writing does not start on the page. "It begins in the body, in lived experience, in memory, in pain, in hope," she stated. When injustice becomes routine, silence itself turns political. In such times, writing becomes a powerful way of refusing that silence.
She rejected the notion that activism must always be loud. "Some of the most powerful social transformations have begun not with a shout, but with a silence, with a sentence," Mushtaq observed. "A writer does not always stand on the street. Sometimes she stands inside a sentence and refuses to move until truth is spoken."
No Room for Neutrality in Writing
Coming from a society where social hierarchies are deeply embedded, Mushtaq argued that "writing cannot afford neutrality." She called neutrality "a privilege enjoyed by those untouched by injustice." However, she clarified that socially engaged writing does not mean propaganda. It demands honesty—emotional, ethical, and intellectual honesty.
In an era where truth itself is under attack, Mushtaq believes the writer's responsibility deepens significantly. She urged fellow writers to defend "the integrity of expression" and resist the lure of easy applause or ideological comfort.
The Politics of Translation and Solidarity
Mushtaq also described translation as a deeply political act. Furthermore, she highlighted that listening becomes a profound form of solidarity. "Every time we choose a word, we choose a world," she concluded, leaving the audience with a resonant thought.
A Trailblazing Literary Voice
Banu Mushtaq is a writer, activist, and lawyer from Karnataka. She is a prominent voice for women's rights in India. Her short story collection Heart Lamp made history. It won the International Booker Prize, making her the first Kannada-language author to receive this honor. Notably, her work is also the first short story collection ever to win the prestigious Booker prize.
