Karnataka Author Banu Mushtaq's 'Heart Lamp' Makes Booker Longlist History

Banu Mushtaq’s 'Heart Lamp', translated by Deepa Bhasthi, has been longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025. This marks the first Kannada work on the list, celebrating the lives of marginalized individuals in southern India. The prize underscores the global resonance of Kannada literature and translation's power.

Karnataka-based writer, activist, and lawyer Banu Mushtaq has been recognized on an international stage. Her short story collection, 'Heart Lamp', translated from Kannada to English by Deepa Bhasthi, has been longlisted for the prestigious International Booker Prize 2025.

'Heart Lamp', chosen among 13 global titles, is the first Kannada language work to make it to the longlist of the GBP 50,000 prize, which is shared between author and translator. The judges praised Mushtaq’s work for its 'witty, vivid, colloquial, moving, and excoriating' style in portraying societal tensions within family and community contexts.

This recognition is significant for Kannada literature, highlighting stories of South Indian women living under patriarchal influences. Penguin, the book’s publisher, plans a release in the Indian subcontinent in April. The winner will be announced in London at Tate Modern in May 2025.