Banu Mushtaq was told to wear burqa, do chores. Her ‘Heart Lamp' has now won a Booker Prize

The Print

21-05-2025

'I had always wanted to write but had nothing to write (about) because suddenly, after a love marriage, I was told to wear a burqa and dedicate myself to domestic work. I became a mother suffering from postpartum depression at 29,' she said in an interview with Vogue.
Heart Lamp is an anthology of 12 stories, each narrating a tale of patriarchy and resilience in Karnataka, where 'firebrand' Mushtaq has worked as journalist, activist, and lawyer. Elements of her work appear to mirror her own life, the contours of which have also been shaped by repression.
New Delhi: Author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepta Bhasthi have made history by winning the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp. It's the first collection of short stories to have ever received the prestigious award, which is now in its 21st year.
Heart Lamp's win further cements the space non-English Indian literature is carving for itself on the global stage, coming soon after Geetanjali Shree's Tomb of Sand, which was translated into English by Daisy Rockwell.
'A lot of English readers will find it unlike anything they've ever read before,' said Max Porter, author and chair of this year's prize.
During the award ceremony held at the Tate Modern in London, Porter also praised the depth of the translation. Most translators aim for invisibility, but Bhasthi did the 'opposite,' he said. She infused the book with 'ways of talking' that gave it an 'extraordinary vibrancy.'
'It celebrates the movement from one language to another. It contains a multiplicity of Englishes. It is a translation with a texture,' he added.
Mushtaq's oeuvre is a testament to her length and breadth as a writer. She has published a novel, six short story collections, a compendium of essays, and a book of poetry. She is also the recipient of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Daana Chintamani Attimabbe awards.
All her work has had a singular motivation.
'The daily incidents reported in the media and the personal experiences I have endured have been my inspiration. The pain, suffering, and helpless lives of these women create a deep emotional response within me, compelling me to write,' she said in an interview on the booker prize website.
The 76-year-old author also said that she doesn't undertake 'extensive research,' but views her 'heart as her field of study.'
Mushtaq and Bhasthi were up against stiff competition. The other nominees included Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda; Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico, translated by Sophie Hughes; and A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson.
The winners received £50,000, shared between both the writer and translator.
Given the subject matter, it's a win that transcends the personal. It's public, and political.
'My family often told my father that I would get our nose cut. Now I hope, even though he is no more, I brought glory instead,' she told Vogue.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)