‘Heart Lamp’: Banu Mushtaq’s International Booker Prize-longlisted book is charged by women’s anger

Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq’s book of short stories, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, has been longlisted for this year’s International Booker Prize. A first for both, it is especially exciting since this is Mushtaq’s maiden appearance in English translation. Bhasthi has previously translated a collection of short stories by Kodagina Gouramma – whose feminist sensibilities struck a chord with readers.

Forthcoming in April 2025 by And Other Stories in the UK and Penguin Random House in India, Banu Mushtaq’s discovery should be a celebration for the English language reader. In Heart Lamp: Selected Stories, Bhasthi picks twelve short stories to introduce Mushtaq to a new readership. While the focus is concentrated on the injustices against women predominantly through faith and societal structures, one also discerns the first stirrings of rebellion just under the surface. It is inevitable, the promise is ripe, but one must wait till the tipping point is reached.

Woman, life, freedom

In each story, Mushtaq builds the tension before it becomes unbearable for her characters and readers. The women are aware that there’s something missing in their lives, though they are not fully aware of the extent of their subjugation. Most are confined within the four walls of their house – only one story features a working woman…

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