Banu Mushtaq Wins International Booker for Kannada Short Stories
| 2025-05-22
Representative Image
Indian author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi win the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, the first Kannada work and short story collection to do so.
Indian Writer Banu Mushtaq Makes History with International Booker Win
Indian author Banu Mushtaq has become the first Kannada-language writer to win the International Booker Prize, awarded for her short story collection Heart Lamp, a landmark recognition for regional Indian literature on the global stage. The anthology, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, also marks the first time a short story collection has received the prestigious award.
Announced at a ceremony held at London’s Tate Modern, the win sees both Mushtaq and Bhasthi share the £50,000 prize. Kannada is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Mushtaq’s stories explore the complex lives of Muslim women in the region, illuminating the socio-political pressures they endure.
A First for Kannada and Short Fiction
Heart Lamp brings together 12 stories written between 1990 and 2023, capturing moments from the everyday lives of women negotiating faith, caste, gender, and power. The collection was curated by Bhasthi, who sought to preserve the multilingual landscape of southern India in her translation. In doing so, Bhasthi became the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize.
Chair of the judging panel, British author Max Porter, described the work as “a radical translation that ruffles language to create new textures in a plurality of Englishes.” He added that Heart Lamp is “a book that shifts our perspective, teaches us to listen, and gives voice to the voiceless.”
The International Booker Prize is awarded annually to a work of fiction translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. It is considered one of the most significant global literary accolades. The prize, distinct from the Booker Prize for English-language fiction, aims to celebrate the importance of translation and the diversity of voices in world literature.
Mushtaq’s Personal and Literary Journey
Born and raised in a Muslim neighbourhood in Karnataka, Mushtaq began her education in Urdu but was later enrolled in a convent school, where she learned Kannada—the language she would adopt for her writing. Her literary journey began during her school years, though her first story was not published until she was 26, following a period of personal hardship.
Mushtaq has spoken openly about the challenges she faced as a woman in a conservative society, including restrictions placed on her after marriage and struggles with postpartum depression. Despite these difficulties—and threats to her safety stemming from her views—she continued to write, using fiction as a means to challenge patriarchal and religious norms.
In an interview, she recalled a period of despair: “Once, in a fit of despair, I poured white petrol on myself, intending to set myself on fire… He [my husband] pleaded with me, placing our baby at my feet saying, ‘Don’t abandon us.’” These deeply personal experiences inform the emotional authenticity of her characters, many of whom endure hardship with quiet resilience.
Stories Rooted in Resistance
Mushtaq’s writing often explores the hidden lives of marginalised women. Her stories reject stereotypical portrayals and instead offer complex, individualised portraits.
In her acceptance speech, Mushtaq reflected on the significance of the award: “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.” She added, “To write in Kannada is to inherit a legacy of cosmic wonder.”
Translator Deepa Bhasthi called the win “a small victory in the ongoing battle against erasure,” referring to how the voices of women and marginalised groups are often overlooked in literature and history.
Wider Recognition for Indian Regional Languages
The award comes two years after Hindi author Geetanjali Shree won the prize for Tomb of Sand, further spotlighting India’s regional literary traditions. Manasi Subramaniam, editor-in-chief at Penguin India, called Mushtaq’s win “a powerful reminder that literature in India’s many languages demands our full attention.”
Mushtaq’s work is already well-regarded in India. She has received the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award. More recently, an earlier compilation of her short stories, Haseena and Other Stories, won the 2024 PEN Translation Prize.
In addition to her literary achievements, Mushtaq has worked as a journalist and later as a lawyer. She was associated with the Bandaya movement, a literary and social initiative focused on justice and equality. Her outspoken stance on women’s rights has at times made her a target, including receiving a fatwa and surviving an attempted knife attack.
Context: Growing Global Interest in South Asian Literature
Mushtaq’s win adds to a growing recognition of South Asian languages and voices in global literature. The Booker Foundation has increasingly highlighted translated works, and the success of Indian writers in Kannada and Hindi suggests a shift toward a more inclusive literary canon.
By awarding Heart Lamp, the International Booker Prize acknowledges not only a unique voice in fiction but also the importance of stories that emerge from the margins—stories that, through translation, find resonance far beyond their original setting.
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