Chicago – May26, 2025
Indian author Banu Mushtaq has made history by winning the 2025 International Booker Prize for her short story collection Heart Lamp, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi. This marks the first time a work in Kannada and a short story collection have received this prestigious award .
Heart Lamp comprises 12 stories written over three decades, portraying the lives of women in patriarchal communities of southern India. Mushtaq, a lawyer and women’s rights activist, drew inspiration from her legal work, stating, “The pain, suffering, and helpless lives of these women create a deep emotional response within me, compelling me to write” .
The English translation by Deepa Bhasthi, described as a “radical translation” by the prize judges, preserves the multilingual essence of southern India. Bhasthi becomes the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize .
The award was announced at London’s Tate Modern on May 20, 2025, with the £50,000 prize shared equally between Mushtaq and Bhasthi . Following the win, Heart Lamp has seen a surge in popularity, with bookstores in Bengaluru reporting rapid sales and the Kannada original heading into its fourth edition .
