Everything You Need to Know About Heart Lamp, Winner of the International Booker Prize 2025

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, has made history as the first short story collection and the first work originally written in Kannada to win the prestigious International Booker Prize in 2025. Announced on May 20, 2025, at a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern, this groundbreaking collection has captivated readers and critics alike with its poignant portrayal of Muslim women and girls in southern India. Here’s everything you need to know about this remarkable book, its author, its translator, and why it’s a must-read.

About the Book

Heart Lamp is a collection of 12 short stories written by Banu Mushtaq between 1990 and 2023, carefully selected and translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi. Published by And Other Stories in the UK on September 10, 2024, the collection explores the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India, delving into themes of patriarchy, gender inequality, faith, caste, and resilience. The stories, originally written in Kannada—a language spoken by approximately 65 million people, primarily in Karnataka—are praised for their dry humor, emotional depth, and sharp social commentary.

The collection’s title story, “Heart Lamp” (originally “Yedeya Hanate”), alongside others like “Red Lungi,” “The Shroud,” and “Be a Woman Once, Oh Lord!,” paints vivid portraits of characters navigating family and community tensions. From sparky children to audacious grandmothers, Mushtaq’s characters are unforgettable, embodying both the struggles and quiet resistance of women in patriarchal societies. The stories are not just narratives but acts of protest, highlighting issues like reproductive rights, religious conservatism, and social injustice. As Max Porter, chair of the 2025 judging panel, noted, “Heart Lamp is something genuinely new for English readers,” celebrating its radical translation and socio-political richness.

About the Author: Banu Mushtaq

Banu Mushtaq is a writer, lawyer, and activist based in Karnataka, southern India. A significant figure in Kannada literature, she is known for her involvement in the Bandaya Sahitya Sanghatane (Rebel Literary Movement), which focuses on addressing social and economic injustices through literature. Mushtaq’s career spans decades, during which she has published six short story collections, an essay collection, and a novel. Her work has earned her prestigious awards, including the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Daana Chintamani Attimabbe awards, and has been translated into Urdu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam. Heart Lamp marks her first book-length translation into English.

Mushtaq’s stories are deeply personal, inspired by her experiences as a journalist and lawyer advocating for women’s rights and protesting caste and religious oppression. She has said, “My stories are about women—how religion, society, and politics demand unquestioning obedience from them, and in doing so, inflict inhumane cruelty upon them, turning them into mere subordinates.” Her ability to weave sharp social insights with tender, witty storytelling has made her a powerful voice for marginalized communities, particularly Muslim and Dalit women.

About the Translator: Deepa Bhasthi

Deepa Bhasthi, a writer and literary translator based in Kodagu, southern India, played a pivotal role in bringing Heart Lamp to an international audience. Her translation, which won the English PEN Translates Award in 2024, is celebrated for its innovative approach, described as “translating with an accent.” Rather than smoothing the text into “proper” English, Bhasthi retains the cultural and linguistic nuances of Kannada, creating an English infused with a “deliberate Kannada hum.” This method, as she explained in an interview with Scroll.in, introduces readers to new words and thoughts without exoticizing the source culture.

Bhasthi’s process involved immersing herself in Mushtaq’s world, reading all her fiction and even engaging with Pakistani dramas and Urdu music to capture the stories’ essence. Her translation choices—such as avoiding italicization or footnotes for non-English words—sparked some debate among readers, with some appreciating the authenticity and others finding it challenging without additional context. Nevertheless, her work has been lauded for its vibrancy and for expanding the boundaries of translation. Bhasthi is the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize, sharing the £50,000 (approximately $66,000) prize equally with Mushtaq.

Why Heart Lamp Stands Out

Heart Lamp is a landmark achievement for several reasons:

• First Short Story Collection to Win: Unlike previous International Booker winners, which were typically novels, Heart Lamp breaks new ground as a short story collection, showcasing the power of shorter narratives to convey profound truths.

• First Kannada Winner: As the first work in Kannada to win the prize, it highlights the richness of India’s regional literature and brings global attention to a language often overshadowed in international literary circles.

• Radical Translation: Bhasthi’s translation challenges conventional approaches, preserving the socio-political and linguistic texture of the original Kannada. Judges praised its “plurality of Englishes” and its ability to “ruffle language” to create something fresh and vibrant.

• Powerful Themes: The collection’s focus on women’s resilience in the face of patriarchal oppression resonates universally, yet its specific grounding in Muslim and Dalit communities in southern India offers a unique perspective. As one reviewer noted, Mushtaq’s characters “endure, negotiate, and occasionally push back—not in ways that claim headlines, but in ways that matter to their lives.”

Critical Reception

Heart Lamp has garnered widespread acclaim. The Hindu called it a “serious read with a sprinkle of humour,” while The Indian Express praised Mushtaq for refusing to flatten Muslim women into stereotypes, instead portraying them as complex and resilient. On Goodreads, readers have given the collection an average of 3.25 to 3.5 stars, with some stories like “Red Lungi” (published in The Paris Review) standing out for their emotional depth and social critique. Critics like Charisse Burden-Stelly have noted Mushtaq’s ability to avoid universalizing her subjects, keeping the focus on their specific struggles and agency.

However, some readers found the collection uneven, with certain stories feeling less impactful when read as a whole. The translation’s lack of glossaries or footnotes for Kannada terms was a point of contention for some, though others appreciated the immersive experience.

Why You Should Read Heart Lamp

This collection is a powerful introduction to Banu Mushtaq’s work and a testament to the importance of regional voices in global literature. It’s a must-read for those interested in:

• Stories that amplify marginalized voices, particularly those of Muslim and Dalit women.

• Literature that blends humor, empathy, and sharp social critique.

• Innovative translations that challenge how we engage with other languages and cultures.

• Short stories that pack emotional and moral weight in concise, vivid narratives.

As Mushtaq herself said in her acceptance speech, “This book was born from the belief that no story is ever small; that in the tapestry of human experience, every thread holds the weight of the whole.” Heart Lamp invites readers to step into the lives of its characters, feel their struggles, and celebrate their resilience.

Where to Get It

You can purchase Heart Lamp: Selected Stories from major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher, And Other Stories. It’s available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats. For those in India, Penguin Random House India and other local bookstores also carry the book.

Final Thoughts

Heart Lamp is more than a literary triumph—it’s a cultural milestone that bridges Kannada literature with the world. Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi have crafted a collection that is both a celebration of storytelling and a call to action against injustice. Whether you’re a fan of short stories, translated fiction, or narratives that champion women’s voices, Heart Lamp is a book that will linger in your heart long after you turn the final page.

For more insights, check out the Booker Prize Foundation’s feature on Heart Lamp or explore reviews on Goodreads. Happy reading