Heart Lamp: Selected Stories (Winner of The International Booker Prize 2025)

"Exploring the lives of those often on the periphery of society, these vivid stories hold immense emotional and moral weight."--The International Booker Prize 2025 Judges

"Banu Mushtaq was one of the founding members of the Bandaya Sahitya Sanghatane, which means the Rebel Literary Movement. A favorite phrase of the movement was: 'The dear friend whose heart beats for people's pain.' We see this compassion and love for the people, in particular Muslim women, that Mushtaq writes about in her stories. As a friend, she writes from amidst them, for them, through the struggles, details and complexity of their lives. Deepa Bhasthi's beautiful translation shares these stories with a wider readership."--Kavita Bhanot

"With a tender heart and a sharp eye for nuance, Banu Mushtaq pens stories with deep contextual understanding of patriarchal institutions and with sympathy to the modern realities of contemporary Muslim women." --Joshua Jones

"A significant presence in Kannada literature, Banu Mushtaq reveals the varied realities of contemporary women with rare talent and art. Deepa Bhasthi's rich translation captures the original's nuances of voice, context and experience, bringing this important work into English for new readers in India and internationally."--PEN Presents Selection Panel