Indian writer, lawyer, and activist Banu Mushtaq has made history as the first author writing in the Kannada language to win the prestigious International Booker Prize.
Her award-winning book, Heart Lamp, is a powerful collection of short stories that sheds light on the hardships and resilience of Muslim women living in southern India.
Heart Lamp features 12 stories written by Mushtaq between 1990 and 2023, each offering a deeply moving and honest portrayal of the everyday struggles faced by Muslim women in a society marked by religious conservatism and patriarchy.
The stories reveal the challenges of survival, discrimination, and societal pressure, painting “astonishing portraits of survival and resilience,” as praised by the Booker judges.
The stories were originally written in Kannada—the language spoken in Karnataka, southern India—and were translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, who will share the £50,000 prize with Mushtaq.
In her acceptance speech, Mushtaq reflected on the significance of telling these often overlooked stories: “This book was born from the belief that no story is ever small; that in the tapestry of human experience, every thread holds the weight of the whole.” She emphasized literature’s unique power to bridge divides and foster empathy.
Mushtaq’s own life experiences mirror many of the challenges her characters endure. Growing up in a conservative Muslim community, she studied the Quran in Urdu but later embraced Kannada as her literary language—a choice that has helped bring regional Muslim women`s voices to a wider audience.
The International Booker Prize win has brought much-needed attention to Mushtaq’s work and the stories of Muslim women living on the margins.
Her writing highlights the strength it takes simply to survive and persist in the face of social and cultural hardships, offering a nuanced and compassionate perspective on their lives.
