Banu Mushtaq's Heart Lamp Wins 2025 International Booker Prize

Banu Mushtaq's stunning collection of short stories, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, has won the prestigious 2025 International Booker Prize. The award marks a significant milestone for translated literature, and for the first time, it is a book translated from Kannada, a language spoken by between 50 and 80 million people, that has taken home the prize. Mushtaq, a journalist and lawyer who has fought tirelessly for women's rights and against caste and religious oppression, brings to life the intimate world of domestic rituals and family tensions in rural India, where women's lives are dictated by men.

Key Takeaways:

• Banu Mushtaq's Heart Lamp is the first book translated from Kannada to win the International Booker Prize, marking a significant milestone for translated literature.
• The collection is a powerful exploration of the lives of Muslim women in rural India, where women's lives are dictated by men.
• Mushtaq's writing shines a light on the resilience of women who resist violence and oppression, and the importance of compassion and humor in the face of adversity.
• Deepa Bhasthi's translation, which respects the culture and language of the original text, "welcomes Kannada's evocative phrases" and introduces Anglophone readers to the nuances of Kannada.
• The award represents multiple important firsts, including the first time a short story collection has won the prize, the first time a book translated from Kannada has won, and the first time And Other Stories has won the award.
• Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation at the University of Exeter, notes that the award highlights the importance of publishing that takes risks, represents a broader range of languages and cultures, and supports translators.

Statistics:

• Between 50 and 80 million people speak Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in India.
• Deepa Bhasthi's translation of Heart Lamp includes 12 stories, each of which introduces us to a different woman from a different family.
• The collection reveals the enormity of human emotion and experience, and the resilience of women who resist violence and oppression.
• As of 2025, And Other Stories has been at the vanguard of publishing innovative literature in translation for 15 years.
• The International Booker Prize has been awarded for the first time to an Indian translator, and for the first time, to a short story collection.

Sources:

• The Conversation -- UK -- By Helen Vassallo, Associate Professor of French and Translation, University of Exeter,

https://theconversation.com/heart-lamp-by-the-indian-writer-banu-mushtaq-wins-2025-international-booker-prize-a-powerful-collection-of-stories-inspired-by-the-real-suffering-of-women-257287