𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐏 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖
✍🏼 By Vihangi Wijesekara

The International Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards that a work of fiction translated to English could receive, announced its 11th titleholder on the 20th of May, 2025. The honour of being awarded the prize for this year's winning book 'Heart Lamp', was given to two talented individuals, author, Banu Mushtaq and translator, Deepa Bhasthi, both of whom are Indians.

Held at London's Tate Modern, the 2025 award ceremony appreciated all the nominees and their nominations who eyed for the prize, most notably 'A Leopard Skin Hat' by Anne Serre, 'Perfection' by Vincenzo Latronico and of course, 'Heart Lamp'.

'Heart Lamp', or rather, 'Heart Lamp: Selected Stories', originally written in Kannada, is a collection of 12 short stories, all revolving around the lives and hardships of Muslim women in Southern India. Written between 1990 and 2023, Mushtaq focuses on the themes of patriarchy, gender inequality and above all, the resillience of all the women who tirelessly fight for change, drawing experiences from her own life. Max Porter, Chair of the 2025 Judges, had claimed 'Heart Lamp' to be, "A radical translation which ruffles language, to create new textures in a plurality of English... This is the book that the judges really loved, right from the first reading...solid storytelling, unforgettable characters, vivid dialogue, tensions simmering under the surface, and a surprise at each turn."

Aside from its astonishing writing and masterful translation, 'Heart Lamp' holds a significant place in the history of Booker Prize winners, being the first short story collection to win the prize, and the first book that was originally written in Kannada to do so. Moreover, this award also marked the first time an Indian translator having won the prize as well.

However, this was not the first time an Indian had won the International Booker Prize. Mushtaq and Bhasthi were preceded by Geetanjali Shree in 2022, who won said prize for her book, 'Tomb Of Sand.'

Delving deeper into the critical response for the book, many found 'Heart Lamp' to be greatly enjoyable with its dark humour, witty writing style along with a translation that remained true to the original. One crtitc even mentioned that Mushtaq's greatness in writing was foreshadowed long before, when another book of her's that explored similar themes as 'Heart Lamp' was adapted into a cinematic production, earning it's lead India's National Award for The Best Actress in 2003. Though some felt that the International Booker Prize wasn't deserved by fiction, but rather, non-fictious works of writing such as biographies and autobiographies, none of them were able to put their finger on a flaw that would deem 'Heart Lamp' unworthy of this prestigious award, proving to the world once again the capability of the book's integrity to steal it's reader's heart.

"My stories are about women," says Mushtaq, when interviewed about her success. "How religion, society, and politics demand unquestioning obedience from them, and in doing so, inflict inhumane cruelty upon them, turning them into mere subordinates. The daily incidents reported in the media and the personal experiences I have endured have been my inspiration. The pain, suffering, and helpless lives of these women create a deep emotional response within me. I do not engage in extensive research; my heart itself is my field of study."

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