‘Heart Lamp’ shortlisted for International Booker Prize: Interview with its author and translator

‘Heart Lamp’, a collection of short stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025

In a landmark moment for Kannada literature, Heart Lamp, a collection of short stories by Banu Mushtaq translated by Deepa Bhasthi, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025 — the first Kannada book ever to do so. Rooted in the textured lives of Muslim women and written over five decades, the stories are remarkable for their lyrical resistance, linguistic play, and quiet political charge. As the author and translator reflect on their collaboration, the journey to global recognition has become a powerful statement; not just of literary merit, but of language, identity, and survival.

For Banu, who began writing in the 1980s, the recognition has come with a mix of pride and pressure. “I am elated,” she says, “But also overwhelmed by the sudden attention. It’s been hard to celebrate fully.” Still, she acknowledges the significance of the moment — not only as a personal milestone, but as a breakthrough for Kannada literature. “This has made history,” she says. “While Kannada has always had immense literary value, it has lacked exposure. This opportunity opens many doors.”

Banu’s stories are deeply embedded in the everyday lives of Muslim women, often navigating themes of faith, gender, and resistance. Her storytelling is colloquial and candid, using a multilingual register that shifts between Kannada, Urdu, Arabic, and Dakhni — a challenge Deepa was aware of when undertaking the translation.

“My translation practice is instinctive rather than theoretical,” says Deepa, who read over 50 of Banu’s stories before selecting the final 12. “I looked for stories that covered a range of subjects — those with humour, subtlety, or universality — and avoided ones too reliant on specific cultural knowledge that might require heavy footnoting.”

This avoidance of footnotes was not accidental. Deepa is a critic of “exoticising” regional literature for Western readers. “Writers from the global south have made it too easy italicising terms like rotti or dosè (in Kannada we don’t pronounce it as roti) as if they’re foreign. But these are everyday words. If a reader doesn’t know what rotti is, they can look it up or learn it through context. That’s how language evolves.”

Banu’s embrace of colloquial storytelling similarly hinges on linguistic authenticity. “Being multilingual, I naturally use various languages in my stories. In our daily lives, these languages blend together, and I bring that same sensibility to my writing. It enhances relatability.”

This unfiltered style also amplifies the political charge of her stories, particularly those examining the intersection of religion and women’s lives. “Faith can be a source of comfort,” Banu explains, “But when weaponised, it becomes oppressive. My stories attempt to capture that duality.”