Top News

Banu Mushtaq began writing within the progressive protest literary circles in Karnataka in the 1970s and 1980s. The Bandaya Sahitya movement gave rise to influential Dalit and Muslim writers, of whom Mushtaq was one of the few women. In her long literary career, Mushtaq has published six short story collections, a novel, an essay collection and a poetry collection.

Besides being the first Kannada-language author to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize for , her debut appearance in English. In addition to this, Mushtaq’s honours include the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi and the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe awards.

Published originally in the Kannada between 1990 and 2023, the stories stand out for their dry and witty observations of the traditional family and community systems. Which, in turn, are testament to Mushtaq’s illustrious career in journalism, law, and social activism.

In their praise for the book, the jury of the 2025 International Booker Prize said, “[…] These stories speak truth to power and slice through the fault lines of caste, class, and religion widespread in contemporary society, exposing the rot within: corruption, oppression, injustice, violence. Yet, at its heart, Heart Lamp returns us to the true, great pleasures of reading: solid storytelling, unforgettable characters, vivid dialogue, tensions simmering under...