Banu Mustaq, a distinguished short story writer in the Kannada language, has been awarded the 2025 International Booker Prize for her powerful short story collection Heart Lamp. She is the first Kannada-language author to receive this prestigious literary honor.
Heart Lamp, comprising twelve carefully curated stories written between 1990 and 2023, is the first short story collection to win the Booker Prize. The narratives explore themes of social inequality, adversity, and the courageous defiance of oppressive circumstances. The prize judges praised the collection for its “astonishing portrayals of endurance and resilience.”
The twelve stories vividly depict the struggles and lived experiences of Muslim women in southern India, offering a poignant and deeply human insight into their daily realities.
In a speech after accepting the prize, she said, “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.”
On the significance of literature, she commented, “In a world that often tries to divide us, literature remains one of the last sacred spaces where we can live inside each other’s minds, if only for a few pages.”
The £50,000 prize will be shared with Deepa Bhasthi, who translated the stories into English from Kannada. She is the first Indian translator to win an International Booker. Her translation, often termed radical, has gained acclaim from the judges.
Banu Mustaq, a pioneering voice in Indian literature, was born on April 3, 1948, in the culturally rich and diverse state of Karnataka, located in southern India. In a time and place where societal expectations often limited the educational opportunities of girls—particularly those from Muslim families—Banu’s path was quietly revolutionary. While most girls in her community were encouraged to study in Arabic or Urdu, the traditional languages of Islamic scholarship, Banu was given the rare chance to pursue her education in Kannada, the regional language of Karnataka. This opportunity would become a defining force in her life and literary legacy.
From a young age, Banu displayed an uncommon intellectual curiosity and a fierce passion for storytelling. Her ambition was not just to write, but to write with purpose—to give voice to the voiceless, to explore truths others dared not speak, and to challenge the structures of power and tradition that shaped her world. Her literary journey was not only prolific but also deeply influential. She authored six collections of short stories, a novel, a collection of essays, and a volume of poetry, each marked by a sharp social consciousness and emotional depth. Through these works, Mustaq carved a unique space for herself in Kannada literature, bringing a fresh perspective informed by her identity, experience, and unwavering commitment to justice.
Her involvement in the Bandaya movement further cemented her role as a literary dissenter. The movement, whose name translates to “rebellion” in Kannada, emerged in the 1970s as a radical reaction against the elitist tendencies of mainstream Kannada literature. Writers within this movement, including Mustaq, sought to center the experiences of the oppressed—particularly Dalits, women, and the working class. They used literature not merely as art but as a weapon of resistance, and Mustaq was among its most eloquent and powerful voices.
While literature remained her first love, the demands of life led her to wear many hats. She began her career as a journalist, using the written word to report on and critique societal issues. Later, faced with the need to support her family, she trained and worked as a lawyer, continuing her advocacy in the legal realm. Even as her professional roles shifted, her commitment to social justice never wavered.
Throughout her life, Banu Mustaq has stood as a beacon of resilience and integrity. She is not only respected for her literary contributions but revered for her tireless activism against patriarchy, caste discrimination, and religious fundamentalism. In a society often resistant to change, she has remained a steadfast advocate for equality, compassion, and truth.
