Indian author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi have jointly won the 2025 International Booker Prize for their work Heart Lamp, marking several historic firsts for the prestigious literary award.
Heart Lamp, a collection of 12 short stories originally penned in Kannada between 1990 and 2023, delves into the lives of Muslim and Dalit women in southern India. The narratives explore themes such as caste, faith, power, and women’s rights, offering poignant insights into patriarchal communities. The book is the first Kannada-language work and the first short story collection to receive the International Booker Prize.
The award ceremony took place at London’s Tate Modern, where the £50,000 prize was shared equally between Mushtaq and Bhasthi. Chair of judges Max Porter praised the book for its linguistic innovation and emotional depth, stating that the stories “speak truth to power and slice through the fault lines of caste, class, and religion.”
Banu Mushtaq, a lawyer and women’s rights activist, has been a significant voice in Kannada literature since the 1970s. Her work is known for its vivid portrayal of women’s experiences and its critique of societal norms. In her acceptance speech, Mushtaq emphasized the collective achievement of Kannada literature, stating, “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.”
Deepa Bhasthi, the translator of Heart Lamp, is the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize. Her translation approach, which she describes as “translating with an accent,” aims to preserve the cultural and linguistic nuances of the original Kannada text. Bhasthi expressed hope that this recognition would encourage more translations from South Asian languages, highlighting the rich literary traditions of the region.
The win has been celebrated widely, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and MP Shashi Tharoor lauding the achievement as a significant milestone for Indian literature on the global stage.
Heart Lamp’s success underscores the importance of translation in bringing regional voices to a broader audience, and it marks a significant moment for Kannada literature and Indian storytelling.
