Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq wins International Booker Prize 2025
Banu Mushtaq’s short story collection Heart Lamp, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, has been awarded the International Booker Prize 2025. This is the first time that a Kannada translation and an Indian-origin translator has won the prestigious award. The book also received the English PEN Translation Award in 2024.
21 May 2025 | 952 Views | By PrintWeek Team
The book was published in India by Penguin Random House India and was printed at Thomson Press. In the UK, the book was published by And Other Stories.
This achievement marks a historic moment, with Heart Lamp becoming one of the very few Kannada-language works to be recognised at this level. It is also a significant milestone for Indian literature in translation and for Penguin, following the 2022 win for Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree and the 2023 longlisting of Pyre by Perumal Murugan.
Originally written in Kannada, Heart Lamp explores the complexities of womanhood, love, loss, and the weight of tradition in contemporary South India. The stories are deeply rooted yet universally resonant, making this collection a moving and unforgettable literary experience.
Moutushi Mukherjee, commissioning editor, Penguin Random House India, said,
‘I am, to say the least, thrilled and excited that Indian literature has had such a big win. It has been an exhilarating journey for us at Penguin following the journey of this book with Banu and Deepa over the last year. Can't wait to see it being read and loved by people.’
Milee Ashwarya, publisher & SVP, Adult Publishing Division, Penguin Random House India, said, ‘This is an incredible moment for Indian publishing and Penguin Random House India. We are overjoyed and proud of our book Heart Lamp that has touched so many hearts across the world. My heartiest congratulations to our author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi on this outstanding achievement.’
The International Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, celebrating the best fiction from across the globe that has been translated into English. It recognises both the author and the translator equally, acknowledging the vital role of translation in global literature.
The 2025 judging panel is chaired by Max Porter, acclaimed author of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, with poet and filmmaker Caleb Femi, writer and publishing director of Wasafiri Sana Goyal, Booker Prize-shortlisted translator Anton Hur, and singer-songwriter Beth Orton completing the panel.