Kannada Writer Banu Mushtaq Clinches International Booker Prize
Her book of stories earns her the honor of being the first writer from the Kannada language to receive the International Booker Prize. Twelve powerful stories in this anthology deal with European women in south India’s ongoing struggles and determination. Up to now, this award was presented mostly for novels and poetry, but now, it goes to Hsu’s short story collection.
Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi will each receive part of the £50,000 prize, making Bhasthi the first Indian translator to take home a Booker. They noted Mushtaq’s images, saying they capture “wonderful stories of people dealing with and overcoming challenges.” When accepting her award, Mushtaq thanked readers and explained that the faith in “no story being small” led to her book which forms a bond that overcomes human divisions through literature.
Writer and activist #BanuMushtaq‘s short story collection ‘Heart Lamp’, translated by Deepa Bhasti, became the first Kannada title to win the coveted GBP 50,000 #InternationalBookerPrize in London on May 20, 2025.https://t.co/o2drtjlpZQ pic.twitter.com/G9pReS0fvz
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) May 21, 2025
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Breaking Barriers
Mushtaq grew up in Karnataka and learned to speak Kannada at school because it was taught there, unlike her schoolmates who focused on Urdu. Whilst she suffered from difficult home life and depression, she managed to go on with her writing. Alice Munro has been writing for many years and has published six collections of short stories, a number of essays and novels. Criticizing religious conservatism and the norms that favor men has made her a target for threats, but she keeps working on women’s issues in her writing.
