1,000 new copies of Banu Mushtaq's Kannada original to be reprinted

The Hindu

24-05-2025

The demand for the Kannada book, 'Haseena Mattu Itara Kathegalu,' the original compilation of short stories of whose English translation won the International Booker Prize for Kannada writer and advocate Banu Mushtaq, has increased since the announcement of the award. This has prompted the Mysuru-based publishers, Abhiruchi Prakashana to reprint 1,000 new books of the original collection.
The book was first published in 2013 by Abhiruchi Prakashana and has been sold out over the years. 'After 'Heart Lamp' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize about 15 days ago, 1,000 new copies were reprinted. While 300 copies sold out after the shortlisting, the rest were sold out in the last two days after the announcement of the award.
'Now, 1,000 new copies will be made available from Tuesday, and they will have 'Booker Prize winner' on the cover page,' said Ganesh M., founder of Abhiruchi Prakashana. He also said that there is a huge demand for the book in the stores as well as online markets.
With the book being sold out in major bookstores, readers are borrowing it from others. 'I wanted to read all the works of Banu Mushtaq and went to buy it, and could not find it anywhere. I have asked a friend who already has a copy to give it to me after he finishes reading,' said Chandrakanth J., an avid reader of Kannada literature from the city.
'Heart Lamp' is a collection of 12 short stories of Banu Mushtaq written between 1990 and 2023, translated into English by Deepa Bhashti.