Zulekha Mumtaz was born in the small Malnad village of Konanduru in Thirthahalli taluk, Shivamogga district. Her father’s name is K. Katubavu and her mother’s name is Ayesha.

To provide her with good religious and secular education, her parents left her at her grandmother’s house in Mangalore. She completed her primary education at the government school in Kandathpalli, Mangalore, and her high school education at St. Ann’s School.

From a young age, she had a habit of reading. Her brothers used to bring her stories, poems, novels, and other books, which she avidly read. This sparked a desire in her to write as well, a dream that blossomed during her school days

Her stories, poems, and articles written in both Beary and Kannada languages have been published in various newspapers across the state.

Her Beary stories, poems, and articles are regularly published in ‘Belkiri,’ published by the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy, ‘Beary Varthe,’ published by the Beary Sahitya and Cultural Association, and in the online publication ‘Meltine‘ from Deralakatte.

In 2018, the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy honored her with the Beary Honorary Award. Her Beary work ‘Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam‘ has been published by the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy.

She is married to civil engineer Mr. Zakir Hussain and currently resides in Mangalore. Zulekha Mumtaz has three sons: one is a mechanical engineer, another is a civil engineer, and the third is studying B.Sc. in Clinical Psychology. With the support and encouragement of her mother, brothers, husband, and children, she continues to write beautifully in both Beary and Kannada.