'Heart Lamp' Illuminates History: Indian Author Banu Mushtaq Claims International Booker Prize

Indian author Banu Mushtaq along with translator Deepa Bhasthi have been awarded the prestigious recognition. International Booker Prize For fiction, we have "Heart Lamp," a compilation of 12 short tales penned over a span exceeding three decades. This anthology captures the daily existence and challenges faced by women in South India.

Mushtaq’s victory holds historical significance for multiple reasons; this marks the initial instance where the accolade was bestowed upon a compilation of short tales. Additionally, "Heart Lamp" stands out as the inaugural work penned in the Kannada language—predominant in India’s southern Karnataka region—to claim such an esteemed honor.

Mushtaq becomes the sixth woman writer to receive the International Booker Prize since it adopted its present format in 2016, and Bhasthi is the inaugural Indian translator—and the ninth female translator—to claim this honor.

Bhasthi expressed her hope that this victory would inspire increased translation efforts both to and from Kannada as well as other South Asian languages.

During her acceptance speech, Mushtaque expressed gratitude to the readers for allowing her words to permeate their hearts.

She mentioned, 'This book emerged from the conviction that no narrative is insignificant; within the fabric of human experiences, each strand carries the essence of entirety.' She further explained, ‘In a society that frequently seeks to separate us, literature persists as one of the final sanctuaries where we can momentarily inhabit others’ thoughts, even if just through a handful of pages.’

The award was announced by bestselling Booker Prize-longlisted author Max Porter in his role as chair of the five-member voting panel, at a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern.

Porter commended the "bold" aspect of the translation, mentioning additionally that "it has been a delight" to observe the growing understanding of the tales among the jury members.

“These beautiful, busy, life-affirming stories rise from Kannada, interspersed with the extraordinary socio-political richness of other languages and dialects," said Porter. ”It speaks of women’s lives, reproductive rights, faith, caste, power and oppression.”

The book, which beat five other finalists includes tales penned between 1990 and 2023. These selections were carefully chosen and organized by Bhasthi, with an intent to maintain the multilingual essence of South India within her translations.

Mushtaq, who works as both a lawyer and an activist besides being a writer, spoke at a brief readings session on Sunday. He mentioned that these tales revolve around women—how faith, community, and governance impose unchallenged compliance from them, thereby subjecting them to immense suffering and reducing their status to subordinate roles.

The £50,000 (€44,000) prize money is to be divided equally between author and translator.

The International Booker Prize runs alongside the Booker Prize for English-language fiction, which will be handed out in the fall.