Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, has made history by becoming the first short story collection to win the prestigious International Booker Prize for translated fiction in 2025. Originally written in Kannada, the official language of Karnataka in southern India, the collection shines a spotlight on women’s lives in patriarchal societies.
A Radical and Fresh Voice for English Readers
The prize’s chair of judges, Max Porter, praised Heart Lamp as “something genuinely new for English readers: a radical translation” filled with “beautiful, busy, life-affirming stories.” The collection includes 12 stories that explore the everyday realities faced by women living under social, religious, and gender-based oppression in southern India.
Deepa Bhasthi: The First Indian Translator to Win the Prize
Deepa Bhasthi, who carefully selected and translated these stories from about 50 written by Mushtaq over 30 years, became the first Indian translator to receive this honor. The £50,000 prize money is shared equally between Mushtaq and Bhasthi. The award ceremony took place at London’s Tate Modern, where actress Ambika Mod read excerpts from the book.
What Makes Heart Lamp Special?
Heart Lamp: Selected Stories is a collection that centers on Muslim women and girls living in Karnataka. Through candid, witty, and deeply personal storytelling, Mushtaq captures their resilience, daily struggles, and subtle acts of defiance against patriarchal and societal pressures.
Mushtaq herself is a lawyer, activist, and writer linked to the progressive Bandaya Sahitya literary movement. Her stories address complex themes such as caste, class, and gender, offering readers both intimate portraits and universal truths.
A Powerful Contribution to Indian Literature
Celebrated for its sharp humor, conversational style, and honest exploration of injustice, Heart Lamp stands out as a significant work in Indian regional literature and feminist storytelling. This International Booker Prize win highlights the growing global recognition of diverse voices from India’s literary landscape.
