London, UK: Heart Lamp, a short story collection by Indian author and lawyer Banu Mushtaq, has won the 2025 International Booker Prize, becoming the first Kannada-language work and first short story collection to receive the award.

The book was translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, who will share the 50,000 prize equally with Mushtaq. The collection, published by And Other Stories, features 12 stories spanning 30 years and centers on women's lives under patriarchy in southern India.

Mushtaq, a women's rights advocate, drew inspiration from real-life legal clients. Bhasthi selected and translated the stories independently, embracing cultural nuances through Urdu music and Pakistani TV.

Her approach, termed “translating with an accent,” aims to retain cultural authenticity. This is the first major English translation of Mushtaq's work. The judging panel, chaired by Max Porter, praised the book’s radical language and powerful themes like caste, gender, and faith. Both the author and translator were first-time nominees.