Banu Mushtaq Wins International Booker Prize 2025

In a groundbreaking achievement for Indian literature, Banu Mushtaq wins the International Booker Prize, making her the first Kannada-language writer to receive the prestigious award. The International Booker Prize 2025 recognizes her short story anthology “Heart Lamp,” translated into English by acclaimed translator Deepa Bhasthi.

Both author and translator will share the the prize of £50,000 prize. Mushtaq's anthology is the first short story collection to win this prestigious prize.

The anthology features 12 short stories, which the author wrote between 1990 and 2023. The stories focus on the hardships Muslim women face in southern India. 

In her acceptance speech, Mushtaq said, "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."

Bhasthi has become the first Indian translator to win the International Booker Prize. 

Banu Mushtaq is a pioneering Indian writer, activist, and lawyer from Karnataka, renowned for her contributions to Kannada literature.

Emerging from the progressive Bandaya Sahitya movement in the 1970s and 1980s, she has been a formidable voice against caste, class, and gender inequalities.

Over her career, she has published six short story collections, a novel, essays, and poetry, earning accolades like the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award.

This win is monumental not only for Indian authors on the global stage but also for regional language literature. With this honor, Banu Mushtaq joins the ranks of previous literary legends who have captivated global readers with powerful narratives and culturally rich storytelling.

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