Kolkata: Penguin Random House India has announced that Banu Mushtaq’s short story collection Heart Lamp, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025.
The shortlist was officially announced today by the Booker Prize Foundation, placing this remarkable work among the six most outstanding works of translated fiction from around the world this year.
This achievement marks a historic moment, with Heart Lamp becoming one of the very few Kannada-language works to be recognised at this level. It is also a significant milestone for Indian literature in translation and for Penguin, following the 2022 win for Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree and the 2023 longlisting of Pyre by Perumal Murugan.
Originally written in Kannada, Heart Lamp explores the complexities of womanhood, love, loss, and the weight of tradition in contemporary South India. The stories are deeply rooted yet universally resonant, making this collection a moving and unforgettable literary experience. The book also received the English PEN Translation Award in 2024. Penguin will publish the English translation in the Indian subcontinent on XX April 2025.
Moutushi Mukherjee, Commissioning Editor, Penguin Random House India, said,
‘To see Heart Lamp on the International Booker shortlist is an extraordinary affirmation of the power of Indian regional literature and the importance of translation. This is a deeply personal project for all of us involved, and I couldn’t be prouder of what Banu and Deepa have accomplished together. We hope this recognition brings even more readers to this luminous, moving collection.’
Milee Ashwarya, Publisher & SVP, Adult Publishing Division, Penguin Random House India, said, ‘This is a proud and joyous moment for us at Penguin. Heart Lamp is a celebration of language, identity, and the quiet strength of women. Its inclusion on the shortlist underscores the global relevance of our local stories and the incredible impact that translations can have. We are honoured to bring this work to readers across the subcontinent and beyond.’
The International Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, celebrating the best fiction from across the globe that has been translated into English. It recognises both the author and the translator equally, acknowledging the vital role of translation in global literature.
The 2025 judging panel is chaired by Max Porter, acclaimed author of Grief Is the Thing with Feathers and Lanny, with poet and filmmaker Caleb Femi, writer and Publishing Director of Wasafiri Sana Goyal, Booker Prize-shortlisted translator Anton Hur, and singer-songwriter Beth Orton completing the panel.
The winning title will be announced at a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern on 20 May 2025.
