Cover Banu Mushtaq wins the International Booker Prize for ‘Heart Lamp’
Banu Mushtaq wins the International Booker Prize for ‘Heart Lamp’
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Banu Mushtaq’s Booker Prize win for her short stories on the lives of Muslim women is even more historic when seen in the context of rising Islamophobia in the world
Banu Mushtaq has been named winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize for her collection of short stories titled Heart Lamp at a ceremony in London’s Tate Modern. The £50,000 prize will be shared equally with translator Deepa Bhasthi, who brought the Kannada text into English.
Heart Lamp features 12 stories following the lives of ordinary Muslim women in southern India. The collection introduces readers to stories of women who have to navigate subtly adverse conditions within the mundanities of day-to-day life. Mushtaq, who works as a lawyer and activist, draws inspiration from media reports and personal experiences. Her stories explore how religion, society and politics reduce women to subordinate positions.
Max Porter, chair of the judging panel of the Booker Prize, noted the collection’s relevance amid rising Islamophobia and its challenge to Western stereotypes of Muslim women. The stories portray not just oppression but also solidarity, resilience, bravery and wit among the women. This marks the first win for a short story collection since the Booker Prize took its current form in 2016, and the first for a work translated from Kannada.
Mushtaq becomes only the second Indian author to receive the International Booker Prize, following Geetanjali Shree’s 2022 win for Tomb of Sand.
Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
