Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq: Illuminating Lives of Muslim Women
Heat Lamp By Mushtaq (Image credit Penguin Random House)
Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq Brings Global Spotlight on Kannada Literature
By TRH News Desk
New Delhi, April 10: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, is a powerful collection of 12 short stories. They delve into the lives of Muslim women and girls in southern India.
In a major feat for Kannada literature, Heart Lamp is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025. Geetanjali Shree’s novel — ‘Tomb of Sand’ — originally written in Hindi and translated into English had won the International Booker Prize in 2022. Shree’s novel in Hindi – Ret Samadhi – was set in the backdrop of India’s partition in 1947 with powerful women characters.
Mushtaq has been a prolific writer, with three decades spent in writing stories of the people around her. Critics have hailed Booker shortlisting of Heart Lamp as a major feat to come close on the heels of Geetanjali Sree’s literary recognition.
“Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq – an activist and lawyer – vividly captures the extraordinary everyday lives of marginalised Muslim women and girls in southern India, in 12 witty, vivid and heartbreaking stories, which were originally published between 1990 and 2023,” wrote The Booker Prize in an introductory note on its website.
It further stated that “each of Mushtaq’s memorable characters – feisty daughters, audacious grandmothers, selfless mothers – are fighting to survive and thrive in a society where the odds are stacked firmly against them”.
Mushtaq has been a journalist and lawyer. Her activism for women’s rights set the backdrop for her short stories. She has also been vocal on religious issues.
Critics have noted that Mushtaq has told tales of the daily struggles and resilience of the people through her characters. The children and audacious grandmothers, hapless husbands and mothers bring the full force of emotional turmoil in Mushtaq’s short stories.
“The stories are imbued with dry, gentle humour and a vivid, colloquial style that captures the essence of familial and community tensions,” read the note of Penguin Random House on the book.
The Booker Prize also spotlighted the narratives around the “oppressive structures faced by women”. Mushtaq tells tales of women caught in battles against societal norms and personal adversities.
“Mushtaq’s characters are crafted with authenticity, reflecting her keen observation of human nature and societal dynamics,” added the Booker Prize. Critics have credited Mushtaq for giving emotional and moral weight to her stories.
“Translator Deepa Bhasthi’s efforts have been instrumental in preserving the original’s musicality and cultural nuances, allowing English readers to fully engage with the text,” said Penguin in its note on the translator.
The feat of Mushtaq has given Kannada literature a global presence. At the same time, Mushtaq also brings to the limelight the social changes taking place in Karnataka.
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