Indian author and advocate for women’s rights, Banu Mushtaq, has made history by becoming the first Kannada writer to win the International Booker Prize 2025 for her collection of short stories titled Heart Lamp. This achievement signifies two significant milestones for the esteemed global award: it is the first book originally composed in Kannada and the first collection of short stories to receive this prestigious recognition. Heart Lamp is a compelling anthology comprising 12 short stories written between 1990 and 2023, which delve into the experiences of women and girls as they navigate the intricacies of patriarchal societies in southern India. The collection was translated from Kannada to English by Deepa Bhasthi, who shares the accolade with Mushtaq. Mushtaq is a prolific and highly regarded literary figure in Karnataka, having published six collections of short stories, a novel, an essay collection, and a poetry anthology. She has previously been honored with significant awards such as the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award. Heart Lamp marks her first book-length translation into English. With this achievement, Mushtaq becomes only the second Indian author in history to receive the International Booker Prize. Bhasthi, a writer and literary translator from Kodagu in southern India, boasts an extensive portfolio of Kannada translations, including works by notable authors such as Kota Shivarama Karanth and Kodagina Gouramma. Max Porter, the Chair of the 2025 International Booker Prize judges, commended Heart Lamp as an exceptional work from the very beginning. “This was the book the judges really loved, right from our first reading,” he remarked. “We are excited to present this timely and remarkable winner to readers across the globe.”
