Poonam Nath

Indian author Banu Mushtaq, along with translator Deepa Bhasthi, wins International Booker Prize for 'Heart Lamp'

Digital Desk: Banu Mushtaq, an Indian novelist, and Deepa Bhasthi, a translator, received the International Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday for "Heart Lamp," a collection of 12 short stories written over more than 30 years that reflect the daily lives and difficulties of women in southern India.

At a ceremony at London's Tate Modern, bestselling Booker Prize-longlisted author Max Porter, chair of the five-member voting panel, displayed the award.

Mushtaq, a lawyer, activist, and writer, earned the International Booker Prize for her writings on women's struggles with religion, culture, and politics.

Bhasthi is the first Indian translator to win the prestigious Indian Translators' Prize for her collection of short stories, which spans from 1990 to 2023.

The book, published in Kannada with Deepa Bhasthi being the eighth female translator to receive the award since its establishment in 2016. The panel complimented the book, which was mostly written in southern India and spoken by around 65 million people, for its "radical" nature as well as the increasing appreciation of its stories.

We're delighted to announce that the winner of the #InternationalBooker2025 is Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi.

Here's everything you need to know about the book: https://t.co/wPRGqgrQyc pic.twitter.com/tVFxwSGhZo

— The Booker Prizes (@TheBookerPrizes) May 20, 2025

The collection, which beat five other contenders, includes stories published between 1990 and 2023. They were chosen and curated by Bhasthi.

Furthermore, the 50,000-pound ($66,000) award money will be split evenly between the author and translator, both receiving a trophy. The prize is given alongside the Booker Prize for English-language fiction.