Indian author Banu Mushtaq wins International Booker Prize with short story collection
- Banu Mushtaq, an Indian author and lawyer, along with Deepa Bhasthi, who translated her work, received the 2025 International Booker Prize for the short story collection Heart Lamp.
- The award honors outstanding fictional works brought into English through translation and was decided after judges reviewed 154 entries from publishers around the globe.
- Heart Lamp is a collection of 12 stories written between 1990 and 2023, set in Muslim communities in southern India, exploring women's lives navigating caste, class, and oppression.
- Chair judge Max Porter described Heart Lamp as "genuinely new for English readers," highlighting themes of reproductive rights, faith, power, and systemic oppression.
- The £50,000 prize, split equally between Mushtaq and Bhasthi, marks the first win for a Kannada author and signals recognition for regional, underrepresented language voices.
48 Articles
48 Articles
How power of translation helps world discover a Heart Lamp
Banu Mushtaq's anthology in Kannada was unknown to Indians, let alone readers across the world. It was translator Deepa Bhasthi who shone the light on it as Heart Lamp. Both Mushtaq and Bhasthi have been awarded the International Booker Prize. Indian writing's global success is being penned in the language of translation, opening new chapters and challenges.
'The Award Is Dedicated to the Soldiers Who Protect the country...', Said Booker Winner Banu Mushtaq
Banu's stories give a glimpse of the common daily routine of the Muslim society. The beginning of the day with Azan, the weaving of relationships, the women of the house, all this comes very easily in her writing.
The Indian author Banu Mushtaq has won the International Booker Prize (https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/prize-years/international/2025) with a book on women and girls.
Danish author Solvej Balle was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. But last night it was revealed that it will go to a collection of short stories by Banu Mushtaq.
Who Is Banu Mushtaq, Kannada Writer Who Won The International Booker Prize
Banu Mushtaq, an Indian writer, lawyer, and activist, has become the first author writing in Kannada to win the prestigious International Booker Prize for her short story collection Heart Lamp.
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