‘Heart Lamp' drives book sales & literary frenzy in Bengaluru's bookstores

Time of India

23-05-2025

Bengaluru: Church Street, in the centre of the city, has been swept up in a literary frenzy since Wednesday morning after Heart Lamp, written by Banu Mushtaq, won the International Booker Prize 2025.
Bookstores have seen a surge in readers eager to get their hands on the newly crowned book, originally penned in Kannada.
Copies of the book are now flying off the shelves faster than booksellers can restock them. "We sold 25 English copies Wednesday evening, and more than 300 since it was long-listed," said Mukund Gowda, manager of Blossom Book House. "The Kannada editions? Gone. Completely sold out."
Translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, the short- story collection brings together over three decades of writing, from 1990 to 2023, and delves into themes such as patriarchy, gender discrimination, religion, and the everyday battles of women in conservative societies.
The stories, while deeply rooted in regional realities, are universally resonant and have struck a chord with a wide readership.
Keshava R, proprietor of The Bookhive on Church Street, said: "We've been selling it since the nomination, but on Wednesday alone, we sold 20 copies. So far, we've sold over 200 copies. We started getting enquiries about the book from the day it was nominated. We had 25 signed copies from the translator, and they were gone in two hours flat."
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The Bookworm, another store, echoed the same momentum. "We sold more than 70 copies in a single day," said Krishna Gowda, the store's owner. "We knew this was coming, we've known the author and the translator for years."
The buzz hasn't just brought in seasoned readers; it's drawing in new ones as well. "People are walking in asking for Heart Lamp by name," Gowda said. "The cover grabs their attention, the prize pulls them in, and many end up leaving with other books by the same author.
The Booker influence is real — it's shaping reading habits beyond the bestseller charts and Instagram hype."
Shrinika R of Goobe's Book Republic said: "This is a huge win, not just for Kannada literature but for all Indian languages that have remained under-represented on global platforms. It's poetic and deeply authentic. The Kannada voice is intact even in the translation."
At Blossom Book House, the staff noted that while Japanese novellas and European fiction are often top sellers, this year feels different. "This year, it's personal. It's incredible to see our authors in the spotlight. Asian literature is having a moment, and Heart Lamp is leading the charge," the bookseller said.
— Madhuja Chakraborty & Sathvi G Bhat